The  Abbott  Memorial  Building. 


n   C'»? 

The    Pomfret    Library 

Vermont 

In  the  Abbott  Memorial  Library 
Building 


An  attractive  Library  Building  full  of  the  Best  Books, 
— this  may  be  a  cheering  and  helpful  Possession  for  any 
Community ;  but  to  become  such,  and  thereby  to  become 
also  a  helpful  factor  in  Public  Education,  it  must  rest 
in  the  hands  of  a  Sympathetic  and  Wise  Librarian. 
Such  a  Librarian,  binding  together  her  Community, 
its  Schools  and  its  Books,  and  thus,  as  her  Library's 
Emblem  suggests,  completing  the  Ancient  Highway  of 
Educational  Opportunity,  Pomfret  has  in  Abba  Doton 
Chamberlin. 


The  Elm  Tree  Press  :  Woodstock  Vermont 
1911 


— Front — 
Board  of 

Library  Commissioners, 
Montpelier,  Vt* 


CONTENTS 


Trustees:   1911  6 

Note  of  Explanation  7 

The  Broken  Bridge  :  the  Emblem  of  the  Library  8 

The  Pomfret  Library: 

The  Library  Building  9 

The  Library,  its  work  and  its  methods  |  2 

Letter  from  Judge  Abbott  40 

Historical  Sketch  of  Pomfret  4  1 

Pomfret  Statistics  46 

Libraries  and  Books  in  Pomfret  46 

Hosea  Doton  50 

Abba  Doton  Chamberlin  5  1 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Abbott  Memorial  Building  Frontispiece 

Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  Librarian  Facing       9 

Abbott  Memorial  Library,  Main  Floor  1  0 

Abbott  Memorial  Library,  Basement  1  3 

Pomfret  Center  School  Facbg     1  6 

North  Pomfret  School  Facing     20 

Book  Plates  Facing     24 

Barber  School  Facing     28 

Barber  School,  at  Work  Facing     32 

Judge  Ira  A.  Abbott  Facing     40 

Map  of  Pomfret  Facing     42 

A  Pomfret  Hillside  Facing     44 


TRUSTEES:  1911. 

Judge  Ira  A.  Abbott 

Mrs.  Frank  S.  Mackenzie 

Mrs.  Estelle  G.  Perkins 

Mr.  Henry  Brockway 

Mr.  Fred  L.  Davis  « 

Mr.  Walter  H.  Harrington 

Judge  Charles  H.  Maxham 

Mr.  Elbridge  Perry 

Mr.  Harold  Seaver 

Mr.  Allen  W.  Thompson 

Librarian 
Mrs.  Abba  Doton  Chamberlin 


NOTE  OF  EXPLANATION 

This  pamphlet  has  been  prepared  and  published  because  the  Board 
of  Library  Commissioners  of  Vermont  believe  that  the  story  of  what 
the  Pomfret  library  is  doing  for  its  community  will  be  interesting  and 
helpful  to  those  who,  in  other  towns  of  Vermont,  are  trying  to  make 
more  efficient  the  libraries  in  their  charge.  The  Commissioners  also 
hope  that  the  pamphlet  will  be  of  value  to  library  workers  in  other 
States,  and  that  both  in  and  out  of  Vermont  it  may  encourage  the 
friends  of  books  and  reading  in  towns  and  villages  which  have  no 
libraries  to  take  steps  to  establish  them. 

The  map  and  the  historical  and  biographical  notes  are  included 
because  it  seemed  that  a  statement  of  the  conditions  under  which  Mrs. 
Chamberlin's  methods  have  been  applied  and  proved  successful  should 
accompany  the  statement  of  the  methods  themselves.  One  who  reads 
the  whole  pamphlet  will  surely  feel  that  what  has  been  done  in  this 
small,  widely  scattered  community  can  be  done  in  others ;  and  that  the 
methods  successful  here  will  be  even  more  successful  if  tried  in  larger 
and  more  compact  communities. 

Mrs.  Frank  S.  Mackenzie  of  Woodstock,  a  trustee  and  a  friend  of  the 
library,  has  by  a  generous  contribution  made  it  possible  to  publish  this 
pamphlet,  and  Mr.  John  Cotton  Dana,  a  native  of  Woodstock,  in  his 
boyhood  a  pupil  of  Mrs.  Chamberlin,  and  now  librarian  of  the  Free 
Public  Library  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  has  compiled  it.  To  both  of  them 
the  Commissioners  here  express  their  thanks. 
March  M.  Wilson, 

Chairman,  Board  of  Library  Commissioners. 
Randolph,  Vt.,  July,  1911 


The  Broken  Bridge :  the  Emblem  of  the  Library. 

The  following  letter  explains  the  Pomfret  Library  Emblem,  the  Broken 

Bridge : 
Mrs.  F.  S.  Mackenzie, 

Woodstock,  Vermont. 
Dear  Mrs.  Mackenzie : 

You  say  in  your  recent  note  that  you  wish  to  present  to  the  Pomfret 
Library  a  sign,  seal  or  emblem  —  something  which  may  be  used  as  its 
mark.  You  say  you  do  not  wish  a  book  plate  though  you  think  the 
"  mark  "  may  be  used  on  book  plates.  You  add  that  if  the  right  thing 
is  found  you  wish  to  pay  the  cost  of  the  drawing,  the  cut  and  the 
printing. 

Well,  here  it  is,  drawn  by  a  friend  of  mine  who  knows  how  to  use 
a  pen.  I  hope  it  is  what  you  wish. 

I  found  it  in  this  way.  After  long  and  vain  searching  for  a  sugges- 
tion for  an  original  library  symbol  or  trade-mark,  I  turned  at  last  to  the 
history  of  the  old  English  town  of  Pomfret,  after  which  all  American 
Pomfrets  are  named.  I  found  that  the  word  is  often  spelled  "  Ponte- 
fract "  in  England,  though  pronounced  "  Pomfret ".  A  reason  given  for 
this  curious  spelling  is  this :  In  the  days  when  the  Romans  were  in 
Britain,  a  stone  bridge  was  built  over  the  stream  which  runs  through 
the  present  Pomfret.  The  bridge  in  time  was  broken  down ;  and  the 
hamlet  which  was  near  it  gradually  came  to  be  called  "  Broken- 
bridge  ",  in  Latin,  "  Pons  fractus ".  This  Latin  phrase  was  gradually 
changed  to  Pontefract.  This  came  at  length  to  be  shortened  to 
Pomfret  in  pronunciation ;  and  finally  came  to  be  spelled  as  pronounced. 

I  suggest  that  in  using  this  symbol,  for  a  time  at  least,  perhaps  until 
its  history  and  significance  come  to  be  generally  understood  in  Pomfret, 
it  be  printed  with  a  brief  explanatory  note  below  it,  and  above  it  the 
words,  "  The  Public  Library  completes  the  Bridge  on  the  old  Highway 
of  Public  Education." 

Sincerely  yours, 

J.  C.  DANA. 
Free  Public  Library 

Newark,  N.  J. 


Mis.  Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  Librarian 


The  Pomfret  Library 


The  Library  Building 

The  character  of  the  building  is  set  forth  quite  fully  by  the  two  floor 
plans  and  the  exterior  view. 

It  was  given  to  the  town  by  Judge  Ira  A.  Abbott  as  a  memorial  to 
his  parents,  in  March,  1 903,  The  gift  was  turned  over  to  the  trustees 
at  a  meeting  held  at  the  library  August  12,  1905.  On  the  same  day 
the  Farmer's  Club  of  Pomfret  arranged  for  the  observation  of  Old 
Home  Day.  Between  four  and  five  hundred  people  gathered  at  the 
library  at  that  time.  The  usual  ceremonies  were  observed. 

Judge  Abbott,  who  is  now  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New 
Mexico  and  has  his  home  in  Albuquerque  in  that  state,  spoke  of  his 
gift  and  the  purposes  he  had  in  mind  in  making  this  memorial  to  his 
parents.  He  said  in  part,  "  My  real  purpose,  therefore,  looks  forward 
and  not  back,  and  asks  '  How  can  this  building  be  made  most  useful 
to  those  for  whose  benefit  it  is  intended  ?  '  I  will  tell  you  briefly  my 
hopes  for  it.  Its  first  and  most  obvious  use  is  one  which  formerly  would 
not  have  been  highly  regarded  in  a  town  such  as  this  was.  But  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  merely  because  the  building  and  grounds  will  be 
attractive  and  pleasing  to  everyone  who  passes  this  way,  they  will  be 
of  value  not  only  to  the  town  but  to  all  this  region.  Every  resident  of 
the  town  will,  I  trust,  feel  a  certain  satisfaction  and  pride  in  being  a 
part  owner  of  them,  and  be  led  to  question  whether  he  cannot,  in  some 
way  suggested  by  what  he  sees  here  in  and  about  the  building,  make 
his  own  home  more  attractive  for  his  family  and  so  for  himself.  Then, 
too,  the  existence  of  a  good  library  here  should  serve  to  strengthen  the 
attachment  of  young  and  old  in  the  town.  It  should  help  to  keep  the 
young  people  from  leaving  and  attract  those  who  have  gone  away,  but 


10 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


The  Abbott  Memorial  Library.     Main  floor. 


POMFRET   VERMONT // 

would  like  to  pass  the  evening  of  life  where  its  morning  was  spent. 

There  will  soon  be,  I  believe,  a  respectable  collection  here  of  objects 
interesting  from  their  connection  with  the  past  of  the  town,  and  that 
canot  fail  to  be  of  interest  to  you  all.  Among  them  should  be  portraits 
of  those  who  were  the  strong  ones  in  their  times. 

I  hope,  too,  that  here  will  be  inscribed  the  names  of  all  Pomfret's 
soldiers.  Thus  far  they  have  not  been  commemorated,  by  tablet  or 
monument.  It  is  fitting  that  the  supreme  proof  of  patriotism,  which  they 
gave  in  jeopardizing  their  lives  in  their  country's  service,  should  be  thus 
recognized,  not  for  their  glory,  but  as  an  inspiration  and  incentive  to 
the  Pomfret  boys  of  the  future. 

Finally,  and  chiefly,  this  building  will  be  useful,  I  trust,  as  a 
repository  of  books  for  the  free  use  of  the  people  of  the  town.  It  should 
be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  there  may  be  excess  even  in  reading 
books  not  in  themselves  harmful,  and  that  many  books  should  be  treated 
as  deadly  drugs  and  plainly  marked  '  Poison  '.  It  will  be  the  high  duty, 
therefore,  of  the  trustees  to  see  that  only  suitable  books  are  provided 
and  to  that  I  am  confident  they  will  carefully  attend. 

In  conclusion  I  wish  to  invoke  the  aid  of  those  who  have  gone  out 
from  Pomfret  as  boys  and  met  with  a  degree  of  success  which  will 
warrant  them  in  doing  something  for  those  who  have  remained  here, 
and  so  well  maintained  the  standing  of  Pomfret  as  a  fanner's  town. 

I  believe  a  better  future  is  near  at  hand  for  the  New  England, 
farmer,  that  already  those  who  till  the  fertile  soil  of  this  town  are  better 
rewarded  for  their  toil  than  has  been  the  case  for  many  years.  It  is 
only  fair  that  Pomfret  boys  who  have  in  other  fields  of  effort  acquired 
perhaps  more  money,  but  very  likely  less  content  than  those  who 
remained  here,  should  help  to  maintain  this  and  other  towns  as  nur- 
series of  the  stock  which  must,  from  time  to  time,  be  transplanted  to  the 
great  centers  of  activity  in  our  country  to  make  good  the  tremendous 
loss  at  those  points." 


12  THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


The  Library,  Its  Work  and  Its  Methods 

By  the  Librarian 
Mooing  Into  the  Library :  Furniture 

When  I  moved  into  the  library  I  divided  the  attic  by  curtains  into  a 
sitting  room  and  bedroom.  On  the  floor  of  the  sitting  room  I  spread  a 
1  3  by  16  1-2  ft.  English  velvet  carpel  that  was  bought  by  Otis 
Chamberiin  in  Boston  about  1845,  and  was  said  then  and  is  still  said 
to  be  the  best  carpet  that  ever  came  into  the  town.  On  the  other  floor, 
an  art  square  and  smaller  rugs  do  duty. 

Curtains  covered  with  the  stars  and  stripes  hang  at  each  window. 

The  sleeping  room  contains  two  good  three-quarter  size  enameled 
beds  with  brass  trimmings,  and  all  necessary  appurtenances  for 
comfortable  sleep. 

The  attic  further  contains  a  fine  chiffonier,  writing-desk,  stands,  sofa, 
easy  chairs,  etc. 

When  my  good  friend  Miss  Frances  Hobart  is  my  guest,  the  rafters 
manage  to  hear  us  talking  into  the  small  hours,  and  sometimes  even 
after  the  hours  have  begun  to  lengthen. 

The  furnace  room,  where  we  always  burn  good  clean  Vermont 
wood,  is  divided  into  the  "  wood-pile "  and  the  "  kitchen." 

The  kitchen  contains  small  tables,  the  ironing-board  ( the  Library 
Commissioners  always  prefer  to  have  their  meals  served  on  this  board  ), 
a  cupboard  filled  with  rare  china,  chairs,  boxes,  etc. 

A  blue-flame  oil  stove  manages  to  do  all  necessary  duty  in  that  line, 
so  long  as  a  well-filled  5  gallon  tank  stands  in  the  corner. 

An  outside  door  from  the  entry  leads  directly  to  the  lawn  on  the 
west  side  of  the  building. 

Hours  when  the  building  is  open 

The  building  is  open  each  week  day  at  all  reasonable  hours,  just  as 
is  every  farmhouse.  On  Sundays  it  is  open  from  2  to  6  p.  m. 


POMFRET  VERMONT  13 


The  Abbott  Memorial  Library.     Basement 


14_ THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

All  books  except  a  few  rare  volumes  that  are  now  out  of  print  are 
lent  to  any  one  who  wishes  them,  whether  a  resident  of  Pomfret  or 
of  some  other  town. 

Records  are  carefully  kept,  but  no  fines  are  taken  for  overdue  books. 

We  put  our  patrons  on  their  honor,  and  they  are  loyal  to  us. 


Friends  of  the  Library 

Ever  since  the  opening  of  the  library  building  gifts  of  money  and 
books  have  been  received  by  friends  of  Pomfret  and  its  library.    The 
more  notable  gifts  of  books  have  come  from  the  following  persons : 
Judge  Ira  A.  Abbott  Dr.  and  Mrs.  F.  Thos.  Kidder 

Miss  Etta  S.  Adams  Mrs.  Isaac  King 

Miss  Alanette  Bartlett  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  S.  Mackenzie 

Col.  and  Mrs.  Franklin  S.  Billings  Mrs.  Calista  W.  Merrill 
Mrs.  Henry  Boynton  and  daughter  Mr.  Melvin  H.  Miller 
Mrs.  Oscar  Burke  Mr.  Roderic  M.  Olzendam 

Miss  Hattie  L.  Chandler  Miss  Annie  F.  Perry 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nathan  Gushing       Mrs.  Mary  A.  Tinkham 
Mr.  John  Cotton  Dana  Dr.  Henry  H.  Vail 

Mrs.  Jennie  Hewitt  French  The  American  Unitarian  Associa- 

Mrs.  S.  A.  Goldschmidt  tion 

Mrs.  Mary  A.  Grosvenor  The  Board  of  Library  Commission- 

Mrs.  Geo.  W.  Harding  ers  of  Vermont 

Gen.  R.  C.  Hawkins  The  Pomfret  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E. 

Miss  Bertha  E.  Hewitt  and  others 

< 

Gifts  of  money  have  come  from  the  following : 

Judge  Ira  A.  Abbott 
Mrs.  Frank  S.  Mackenzie 
Mr.  Redfield  Proctor 
Mr.  Henry  Brockway 
Judge  Duane  J.  Carnes 
Dr.  George  B.  Carnes 
Mrs.  Abba  D.  Chamberlin 


POMFRET  VERMONT 75 

The  Resources  of  the  Library 

The  library  has  now  about  4000  volumes.  Of  these  about  600  are 
books  for  children.  It  has  also  a  collection  of  portraits  of  citizens  of 
Pomfret  including : 

Samuel  Bailey  Harvey  Melendy 

John  Brockway  Crosby  Miller 

Harvey  N.  Bruce  Albro  Perkins 

Alonzo  Chamberlin  Norman  Perkins  and  wife 

David  Chandler  Dr.  Kimball  Russ 

Daniel  DeWolf  Nathan  Snow  and  wife 

Hosea  Doton  Martin  Tribou  and  wife 

Lewis  Hawkins  Hannibal  Totman 

William  Hutchinson  Joshua  Vail 

Edwin  Jackman  Horace  Ware 

Henry  Maxham  Thomas  Ware 

Judson  Maxham  Washington  White 


Conditions  in  1906  , 

Our  library  was  first  opened  to  the  public,  Jan.  1 ,  1 906,  and  was 
kept  open  on  Saturdays  only  for  1 6  months  thereafter. 

On  May  1,  1907,  I  became,  at  Judge  Abbott's  request,  librarian. 
Since  then  the  library  has  always  been  open,  for  I  live  in  the  building. 
I  know  everybody,  old  and  young  in  the  town  and  so  need  no  system 
of  registering  borrowers.  Books  are  lent  to  all  who  ask  for  them  and 
charged  on  slips  in  the  simplest  possible  way. 

When  I  moved  in  we  had  about  a  thousand  books  on  the  shelves ; 
part  of  these  belonged  to  the  public  library  started  in  town  some  years 
ago,  and  the  others  had  been  given  by  old-time  Pomfret  boys  who 
come  back  to  Vermont  for  the  summer. 

The  books  were  classified,  but  incorrectly,  and  this  work  had  to  be 
done  again. 

For  furniture  we  had  two  tables  that  came  from  the  Library  Bureau 
in  Boston ;  an  old  desk  that  a  good  friend  had  found  somewhere,  and 
a  dozen  cane-seated  chairs. 


76 THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

Making  the  Library  Home-like 

It  struck  me  that  the  first  thing  to  do  was  to  try  to  make  the  rooms 
look  a  little  more  social. 

I  had  a  mahogany  parlor  set  of  furniture  ;  a  good  musical  instrument 
in  a  rosewood  case ;  an  old  mahogany  dining  table ;  some  dainty 
stands  and  various  other  things. 

These  I  moved  in.  City  people  coming  in  would  say, 

"  I'll  give  you  $1 00  for  that  table ! " 

But  the  reply  always  was,  "  It  answers  very  well  where  it  is  for  the 
present." 

Portraits  of  Pomfret  Worthies 

When  Judge  Abbott  gave  us  the  building,  he  said  he  would  like  to 
have  portraits  of  old-time  residents  of  the  town  hanging  on  the  walls, 
and  mentioned  six  or  eight.  Among  those  he  mentioned  were  my 
father  and  my  husband's  father.  Not  long  after  this  I  sent  to  a  New 
York  artist,  John  N.  Marble,  and  asked  him  to  make  two  crayons 
exactly  alike  in  size,  workmanship  and  material  used.  This  artist, 
besides  much  other  good  work  known  to  me,  had  made  a  painting  of 
Phillips  Brooks  for  the  Groton  School  in  Massachusetts,  and  a  crayon 
portrait  of  Mrs.  Frederick  Billings  for  the  Moody  School  at  Northfield. 
In  due  time  my  portraits  came  and  were  placed  on  the  walls.  Not  long 
after  one  of  our  trustees,  Henry  Brockway,  came  in  bringing  a  portrait 
of  his  father ;  soon  another  trustee  followed  his  example,  and  now  we 
have  portraits  of  twenty-eight  former  residents. 

In  the  meantime  .1  found  three  old  letters  written  by  my  great,  great 
grandfather.  The  first  was  dated  "Albany,  June  the  16,  1726"; 
then  followed  "  Half  Moone,  June  ye  25,  1  756"  and  "Camp  Fort 
Edward,  August  ye  31,  1756."  I  had  these  framed  between  two 
plates  of  glass  and  placed  on  the  walls. 

Then  I  found  an  old  program  of  a  Fourth  of  July  celebration  and  a 
friend  gave  me  one  of  an  Antiquarian  Supper.  These  were  written 
in  the  quaintest  language  and  gave  any  amount  of  advice  to  the  young 
people  as  to  their  behavior ;  what  they  might  do  and  what  they  must 
not  do.  These  were  also  framed  and  placed  on  the  walls. 

About  this  rime  one  of  the  Pomfret  boys,  Judge  Duane  J.  Carnes 


The  School  at  Pomfret  Center.     Branch  No.  1  of  the  Public  Library. 


POMFRET  VERMONT /7 

of  Sycamore,  Illinois,  came  home,  and  while  looking  at  one  picture  and 
then  another,  suddenly  stopped,  and  said, 

"Your  walls  are  full,  but  we  must  have  more  pictures  of  the  old 
people,  and  if  you  will  think  how  to  make  a  substantial  album,  I  will 
pay  for  it." 

He  wanted  one  to  hold  1 00  or  more  pictures.  I  thought  it  over  and 
enlisted  two  friends  to  think  with  me,  and  the  album  was  finally  pro- 
duced. It  has  six  leaves,  each  being  29  inches  long  and  1  3  inches 
wide.  Each  leaf  consists  of  an  eighth  of  an  inch  board,  stained  black 
and  placed  between  two  plates  of  glass ;  the  whole  being  framed  with 
mahogany  like  a  school  slate.  This  frame  is  left  sufficiently  open  at  the 
top  to  admit  of  drawing  out  the  stained  board.  On  this  board  are 
tacked  the  pictures.  The  leaves  are  each  fastened  to  a  mahogany  back 
in  such  a  way  that  they  turn  like  the  leaves  of  a  book,  and  this  board 
is  fastened  upright  to  the  wall  in  the  reading  room,  between  windows, 
so  that  both  sides  of  all  the  leaves  are  well  lighted  as  they  are  turned. 

Each  photograph  put  in  is  numbered,  and  in  a  book  that  goes  with 
the  album  you  will  find  on  the  page  numbered  to  correspond  to  the 
number  on  the  picture,  a  sketch  of  the  person.  Visitors  usually  look  at 
the  portraits  first ;  then  open  the  album  for  further  information. 

This  album  was  given  to  us  by  Miss  Bertha  E.  Hewitt  of  Milton 
Hill,  Mass.,  and  was  made  by  Hooper,  Lewis  &  Co.  of  Boston,  to 
match  a  "Visitors'  Register  ",  the  gift  of  Mr.  Frank  S.  Mackenzie  of 
Woodstock,  that  this  firm  had  made  by  his  request  for  us,  a  short  time 
before. 

I  obtained  pictures  of  all  the  libraries  I  could  and  mounted  them  on 
card-board ;  Vermont  libraries  by  themselves ;  New  Hampshire  ones 
by  themselves ;  Massachusetts  ones  by  themselves,  and  so  on.  Visitors 
coming  in  from  different  states  would  say,  "  I  wonder  if  you  have  our 
library.  If  you  have  not,  I  will  send  it."  In  this  way  we  are  getting 
quite  a  large  collection. 

Historical  Relics 

If  you  are  to  have  relics  in  your  library,  you  must  make  a  beginning ; 
so  I  talked  with  an  old  aunt  who  had  passed  her  85th  milestone,  and 
asked  her  if  she  didn't  think  it  would  be  a  satisfaction  to  her  to  give 


18  THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

.4 

us  some  of  her  heirlooms.  She  concluded  it  would,  and  let  me  have 
her  grandmother's  tea-set,  that  was  brought  into  town  in  1  786 ;  also 
a  candle-stick  and  snuffers,  a  rocking  chair,  and  several  other  things 
that  came  at  the  same  time.  These  made  the  beginning. 

Our  town  was  settled  in  1  770  and  in  I  773  a  tavern  was  built. 
We  have  that  tavern's  sign  and  the  old  tin  chandelier  that  hung  in  its 
bar  room.  In  I  784  another  tavern  was  built,  and  we  have  its  sign 
also. 

In  September,  1  774,  Rev.  Aaron  Hutchinson,  who  graduated  from 
Yale  in  1  747,  was  engaged  to  preach  in  Woodstock,  Pomfret  and 
Hartford  for  the  period  of  five  years.  We  have  the  table  on  which  he 
wrote  his  sermons  and  also  his  wife's  foot  stove  and  needle  case. 
There  now  lies  on  his  table  a  1  795  Edinburgh  Bible  that  belonged 
to  another  old  townsman,  Dr.  Newton. 

One  of  our  early  day  schoolmasters,  Marcus  Peake,  used  to  go  on 
crutches  and  when  the  youngsters  didn't  conduct  themselves  to  suit 
him,  a  crutch  was  fired  at  them.  We  have  those  crutches  in  the  relic 
room.  There  are  many  stories  that  the  sight  of  them  brings  up ;  and 
some  of  the  old-time  boys  who  come  back  here  summers  can  remem- 
ber just  how  he  used  to  circulate  about,  and  delight  to  take  him  off, 
much  to  the  amusement  of  those  who  witness  the  performance. 

We  have  an  old  flaxbrake,  made  by  Judge  Abbott's  father,  with 
the  swingle-knife,  hatchel,  cards,  wheel  and  other  implements  that 
follow  in  its  train. 

An  old  spinning-jenny  bought  in  Boston  in  1812,  attracts  consid- 
erable attention.  This  was  an  improvement  on  the  wheel ;  of  which 
we  have  a  number,  together  with  white  wool  rolls,  swifts,  reels, 
an  old  loom  all  ready  for  use,  and  various  other  things  along  that  line. 
Old  barrels  made  in  1 800  are  not  denied  a  place  with  us,  and  can- 
dlesticks, candle  moulds,  lamps,  and  lanterns  made  about  the  same  time 
adorn  one  of  our  tables.  Jack-knives  and  tongs  that  came  into  town 
in  1  770  must  not  be  omitted,  together  with  a  revolutionary  gun,  and 
also  a  British  bayonet  that  was  plowed  up  on  the  Harvey  Bruce  farm. 
A  primitive  copying  press  is  something  not  seen  every  day. 

One  thing  came  to  us  that  I  couldn't  name.  A  gentleman  from 
Providence  was  visiting  the  library  one  day,  and  I  said,  "  For  what 


POMFRET  VERMONT 79 

was  this  iron  used  ?  "  "Why  ",  he  replied,  "  They  ran  it  into  the  live 
coals  in  the  fire-place  till  it  was  hot  and  then  stirred  their  flip  with  it." 

We  have  the  saddle-bags  and  the  medicines  in  them,  left  by  a  good 
old  worthy,  Stephen  Raymond,  who  was  always  called  in  to  alleviate 
the  ills  of  all  the  cattle  and  horses  in  Pomfret  and  neighboring  towns. 
Another  set  of  saddle-bags  that  belonged  to  a  graduate  physician,  Dr. 
Kimball  Russ,  who  settled  with  us  some  85  years  ago,  is  also  ours ; 
but  unfortunately  lack  any  traces  of  the  syrups  and  powders  that  used 
to  be  dealt  out  to  our  grandparents  in  the  good  old  days. 

People  like  to  see  a  cane  that  belonged  to  some  dear  old  friend, 
also  his  pitchfork;  the  boots  he  wore,  and  his  wife's  chum,  and 
camlet  cloak. 

A  fine  old  secretary,  made  for  Hosea  Doton  nearly  1 00  years  ago, 
furnishes  a  convenient  place  to  keep  home-made  linen  sheets,  work 
bags,  samplers,  thimbles,  silk  shawls,  stockings,  daguerreotypes,  snuff- 
boxes, coffin-plates,  and  rare  books,  newspapers  and  pamphlets. 

I  saw  recently  an  article  in  one  of  our  papers  about  Truman  Henry 
Safford,  the  young  Vermont  mathematician.  We  have  his  picture  and 
his  almanacs  published  in  1846  and  1847.  I  can  remember  how, 
when  he  was  about  nine  years  old,  he  came  to  our  home  with  his 
father,  to  have  my  father  teach  him  how  to  calculate  eclipses  of  the 
sun  and  moon.  Harvard  University  afterward  took  the  lad  and 
educated  him.  Later  he  was  a  Professor  in  Williams  College  and  died 
not  many  years  ago. 

These  relics  are  all  numbered  and  sketches  of  them  are  written  out 
in  a  book,  also  made  by  Hooper,  Lewis  &  Co.  of  Boston,  to  match 
the  other  two  books.  This  book  is  the  gift  of  Miss  Harriet  L. 
Chandler  of  Boston. 

Library  Books  in  Schools 

When  I  first  went  into  the  library,  I  called  on  the  school  superin- 
tendent and  directors  and  asked  if  they  were  willing  I  should  make  out 
sets  of  juvenile  books  for  the  children  and  put  them  in  the  school- 
rooms. They  were,  and  I  made  as  many  sets  as  we  had  schools.  At 
the  end  of  the  term  the  books  came  back  to  the  library  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  next  term  were  sent  out  again.  In  this  way  each  set 


20 THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

made  the  circuit  of  the  town.  The  parents  of  the  children  became 
interested  in  these  juvenile  books,  and  then  the  town  offered  money  to 
buy  new  sets.  It  occurred  to  me  it  would  be  much  pleasanter  if  the 
children  could  have  a  little  book  plate  all  their  own.  So  we  had  one 
made ;  and  then  we  thought  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  have  each 
book  contain  a  little  letter  to  the  children,  supposed  to  be  written 
by  the  book.  These  are  fastened  in  opposite  the  book  plate  and  make 
the  first  fly  leaf. 

Letter  to  Pomfret  Children 

Pomfret,  Vermont,  January  1,  1909 

My  Dear  Boys  and  Girls : 

I  am  only  a  small  book,  but  I  am  your  true 
friend,  and  wish  to  make  you  happy,  and  you  will  cer- 
tainly be  made  more  happy,  if  I  keep  clean  and  good- 
looking  until  I  am  worn  out,  than  you  will  be  to  have  me 
get  soiled  and  ragged ;  so  will  you  please  help  me  a  little 
in  this,  by  never  taking  me  up  with  dirty  hands ;  never 
giving  me  to  the  baby  to  play  with ;  never  making  marks 
on  me  with  pen  or  pencil ;  never  turning  down  my  leaves ; 
never  leaning  on  me  with  your  elbows ;  never  letting  me 
fall  on  the  floor ;  never  leaving  me  out  in  the  rain  ;  never 
putting  pencils  or  knives  or  anything  thicker  than  a  sheet 
of  paper  between  my  leaves,  and  never  throwing  me  at 
the  cat  or  the  dog  or  anything  else. 

If  you  will  help  me  in  these  ways,  I  think  I  can  keep 
strong  and  useful  until  you  are  grown  to  be  men  and 
women. 

Your  loving  friend, 

A  LIBRARY  BOOK 

The  letter  is  serving  well  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  written. 
In  the  same  month  of  May  I  sent  the  following  letter  to  the  two 
weekly  papers  of  Woodstock,  a  town  next  to  Pomfret. 


The  North  Pomfret  School.     Branch  No.  4  of  the  Public  Library. 


POMFRET   VERMONT 27 

To  Pomfret's  School  Children : 

A  letter  to  the  small  folks  attending  the  Pomfret  district  schools, 
who  will  soon  be  the  big  folks  and  run  the  business  of  the  town. 

Abbott  Memorial  Library, 

Pomfret,  Vt.  May,  1907. 
My  dear  young  friends : 

I  am  going  to  write  you  a  very  confidential  letter.  As  it  is  just 
between  ourselves  we  don't  need  to  say  anything  about  it  to  anyone. 

Well,  your  superintendent,  Miss  Persis  Hewitt,  and  other  directors 
have  arranged  to  have  you  visit  the  library  sometime  this  term.  I  am 
very  glad  to  know  this,  and  as  is  natural  couldn't  help  expressing  my 
gladness.  So  as  I  was  putting  some  books  away  on  the  shelves,  I  said, 
"  Now  books,  do  you  know  you  are  going  to  have  company  ?  A  fine 
group  of  bright,  happy  children  are  coming  to  see  you." 

All  at  once,  if  you  will  believe  me,  there  seemed  to  be  a  sort  of 
rustling  on  the  shelves,  and  soon  a  little  squeaky  voice  way  up  on  the 
top  shelf  piped  out,  "Oh  !  I'm  so  glad,  I'm  so  glad ! "  "We've  been  shut 
up  here  more  than  a  year,  with  only  grown  people  coming  to  see  us 
one  day  in  a  week." 

"I  am  so  glad  the  children  are  coming ! " 

"Yes,"  said  a  voice  from  another  shelf,  "  I  want  to  see  the  little  boy 
from  way  over  the  hill,  who  was  very  ill  a  few  months  ago,  and  had 
a  trained  nurse  to  care  for  him,  who  wore  a  white  apron  and  cap,  and 
this  little  boy  fell  very  much  in  love  with  the  good  nurse  and  has  written 
her  many  letters  since  she  went  away,  which  she  has  kindly  answered. 
/  want  to  see  him. " 

"Well,  you  may  see  him,"  said  another  voice,  "  but  I  want  to  see  the 
little  girl  who  bubbled  over  when  she  was  told  about  the  old  professor, 
who  in  his  summer  outings  went  without  his  hat  so  much  that  he  blis- 
tered the  top  of  his  bald  head.  /  want  to  see  her. " 

"And  I  want  to  see,"  said  another  voice,  "  the  little  girl  who  is  named 
after  a  famous  woman.  Now  this  girl  gets  up  in  the  morning,  when  her 
mother  is  ill,  and  cooks  the  breakfast  and  serves  it.  I'll  whisper 
something  in  her  ear  if  she  gives  me  a  chance." 

"Well,  you  may  whisper  in  the  girls*  ears  if  you  wish  to,  for  all  me," 
said  a  sort  of  bass  voice,  "  but  I  want  to  see  two  boys  who  telephone 
back  and  forth  to  each  other  so  much.  One  of  them  milks  three  and 
four  cows  every  night,  and  waters  all  the  horses  and  brings  in  all  the 
wood  and  does  lots  of  running  on  errands,  and  the  other  one  makes 
himself  useful  in  many  ways  and  is  a  manly  little  fellow  to  meet.  I  want 
to  see  those  boys." 


22 THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

1  The  boy  that  breaks  so  many  small  steers  and  makes  them  as  steady 
as  old  oxen,  and  milks  a  barnful  of  cows  every  night  and  morning,  is 
the  boy  for  me,"  said  Mr.  Tenor  Voice  over  in  the  corner. 

And  so  the  conversation  went  on  and  the  excitement  increased 
rather  than  lessened,  and  I  hardly  think  one  of  them  got  a  wink  of  sleep 
till  after  midnight. 

I  was  surprised  that  Little  Mother  Goose  over  on  the  reading  table 
didn't  have  to  put  in  a  word,  but  for  a  wonder  she  kept  still  this  time. 

Now  Little  Mother  Goose  was  the  first  book  my  father  bought  me, 
and  before  I  knew  a  letter  of  the  alphabet,  I  could  repeat  all  her 
rhymes  from  cover  to  cover.  I  think  I  could  say  the  most  of  them  now 
if  you  would  start  me  off  with  the  first  line ;  but  Mother  Goose  wasn't 
the  only  book  I  was  allowed  to  enjoy,  for  my  father  never  had  a  book 
on  his  library  shelves  that  I  was  not  permitted  to  take  and  look  at  as 
long  as  I  pleased,  provided  my  hands  were  clean  and  I  turned  the 
leaves  carefully,  and  I  am  going  to  give  you  the  same  privilege  when 
you  come  here.  And  if  I  know  the  day  you  are  coming,  I'm  going  to 
honor  the  occasion  by  wearing  a  knot  of  red,  white  and  blue  ribbon 
fastened  with  a  pin  bearing  the  picture  of  the  one  who  wrote  "The 
Man  Without  a  Country,"  and  I'll  show  you  a  souvenir  copy  of  this 
book,  printed  when  the  person  was  eighty  years  old.  Ask  your  teacher 
where  this  person  is  now,  and  why  the  book  was  written,  and  tell  me 
when  you  come. 

Then  we'll  look  at  the  picture  of  dear  old  Dr.  Russ,  who  was  born, 
I  think,  in  1 800.  Your  grandfathers  and  grandmothers  never  would 
have  lived  as  long  as  they  did  had  it  not  been  for  the  kindly  services 
rendered,  unselfishly,  by  this  good  man.  We  seem  to  see  him  now 
riding  with  his  long,  slim  legs  crossed  and  started  to  wind  again.  His 
pet  dog  sits  by  his  side  and  the  veritable  old  saddle-bags  are  at  his 
feet. 

He  enters  the  sick  room,  looks  at  the  patient's  tongue,  takes  the 
pulse,  sits  back  and  meditates  a  little,  prescribes  castor  oil  mixed  with 
West  India  molasses  to  cleanse  the  internal  arrangements ;  a  plaster 
made  of  Burgundy  pitch  to  brace  the  weak  back — and  quieting  Dover's 
powders  to  ease  the  restless  nights. 

Dear  old  doctor !  Pomfret  lost  one  of  its  best  friends  when  he  went 
home. 

But  I  must  stop  writing. 

Let  me  know  when  you  are  coming,  and  believe  me, 

Lovingly  yours, 
Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  Librarian. 


POMFRET   VERMONT 23 

Each  School  House  a  Branch  Library 

After  this,  the  thought  came  to  me  of  sending  books  to  each  school- 
house  in  town  for  the  grown  people ;  thus  making  each  schoolhouse  a 
branch  library.  I  talked  it  over  with  the  school  directors  and  superin- 
tendent, and  they  were  unanimously  in  favor  of  it,  and  suggested  that 
the  children  of  the  town  raise  money  to  pay  for  boxes  to  hold  these 
books.  This  the  children  did. 

The  boxes  are  2  7  inches  long,  1 8  inches  wide  and  9  inches  deep  ; 
with  strong  covers,  hinges,  and  hooks  and  cleats  at  the  ends  so  they 
may  be  easily  handled.  Books  to  the  number  of  40 — including 
the  following  subjects :  religion,  sociology,  natural  science,  useful  arts, 
fine  arts,  literature,  biography,  travels,  history  and  fiction — are  placed 
in  each  box.  These  boxes  make  the  circuit  of  the  town  in  the  same 
way  as  do  the  juvenile  books. 

By  a  very  simple  arrangement  the  lending  is  so  carried  on  that  any 
one  at  any  time  can  exactly  locate  each  book.  Every  time  these 
boxes,  and  the  juvenile  sets,  come  back  to  the  library,  each  book  is 
carefully  looked  over,  and  repaired  if  need  be,  and  an  account  of  loans 
taken.  The  number  of  loans  made  by  each  branch  library  during  a 
term  is  published  in  our  two  local  newspapers. 

Signs  1 8  inches  long  and  1 0  inches  wide,  with  a  half  inch  bead, 
have  been  made  and  placed  on  each  schoolhouse.  These  are  painted 
white,  and  the  words  on  them,  "  Branch  1 ,  Public  Library  ",  "  Branch 
2,  Public  Library  "  etc.,  in  black  letters,  show  off  to  good  advantage. 
The  same  branch  library  number  is  placed  on  each  schoolhouse  as  was 
given  to  it  when  they  were  numbered  as  "  district  schools  "  nearly  a 
century  ago. 

The  Roll  of  Honor 

Following  in  the  train  of  the  juvenile  books,  and  the  boxes,  came 
another  thought  which  was  brought  before  the  school  directors  and 
superintendent,  and  the  result  was  that  we  had  two  frames  made,  each 
5  1  -2  feet  in  length  and  one  foot  in  width.  These  are  covered  with 
dark  green  cambric  and  are  kept  in  the  library.  On  one  of  these  is 
fastened  one  of  the  large  circulars  headed,  "  The  Good  Citizen  Says  ", 
and  below  this  circular  are  placed  the  names  of  Pomfret  boys  and 


24  THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


girls  who  have  memorized  and  recited  the  same.  One  term  alone 
gave  us  49  names.  On  the  other  is  kept  a  Roll  of  Honor,  of  pupils 
who  have  distinguished  themselves  as  indicated  below.  In  making  up 
this  honor  list  ten  points  are  considered : 

Ten  Points  for  a  Roll  of  Honor 

1 .  The  care  of  books  furnished  by  the  town. 

2.  The  care  of  library  books. 

3.  The  care  of  school  property  generally. 

4.  Cleanness  of  speech. 

5.  Kindness  to  every  living  thing. 

6.  Habits  of  order  and  neatness. 

7.  Politeness. 

8.  Truthfulness. 

9.  Cheerful  obedience  and 

1 0.     Other  social  virtues  one  must  have  if  he  is  to  become 
a  desirable  citizen. 

The  superintendent  wished  me  to  go  to  each  school  and  talk  to  the 
pupils  about  the  Roll  of  Honor.  I  did  so,  explaining  to  them  what  I 
meant  by  "Cleanness  of  speech  ",  "  Habits  of  order  and  neatness  ",  and 
so  on  through  the  list,  and  then  had  printed  copies  made  of  the  points 
to  be  considered.  One  of  these  is  hung  in  each  school  room  and  each 
pupil  now  has  one  for  a  bookmark.  One  teacher  told  me  that  before 
the  book  marks  were  given,  her  pupils  were  so  anxious  to  have  their 
names  enrolled  that  all  who  could  write  had  made  a  copy  for 
themselves. 

The  fall  term  of  1910,  showed  an  enrolment  of  82  pupils  in  all  the 
schools.  The  names  of  5  1  of  these  were  sent  in  by  the  teachers  to  go 
on  the  "  Roll  of  Honor."  In  the  winter  term  of  1910-11  these 
figures  were  73  and  63. 

Out  of  town  visitors  are  so  much  interested  in  this  "  Roll  of  Honor  " 
book  mark,  that  they  are  asking  for  them  to  take  to  their  own  towns, 
with  a  hope  of  interesting  their  own  people. 

Then  another  frame  was  made,  6  feet  in  length  and  1  1  -2  feet  in 
width.  This  is  covered  with  dark  green  cambric  and  holds  a  large 


THB  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  COMPUTE* 
HIGHWAY    OF  PUBLIC  EDUCATION 

PONS   FRACTV5 


POMFRET     VERMONT 


ABBOTT  MEMORIAL  UBRARY 
POMFRET  VERMONT 


NO 


POMFRET 

PUBUC  SCHOOL  UBRARY 
POMFRET.  VERMONT 


PONS  FRACTV5 


MR*.  LUCT  C.  MACKENZIE 


Reduced  facsimiles  of  book  plates  used  in  the  Pomfret  Library. 


POMFRET  VERMONT  25 


All  the  World  Knows  These  Old  and  Marvellous  Things 

The  Alhambra,  a  glorious  Ruin 

Athens,  the  Eye  of  Greece 

The  Bastile,  that  terrible  Prison 

Carthage,  which  "  must  be  destroyed  " 

China's  Great  Wall 

The  Coliseum  where  gladiators  fought 

The  Colossus  of  Rhodes 

Doubting  Castle  and  Giant  Despair 

Holland's  Dykes  which  hold  back  the  Sea 

Edinburgh  Castle  and  Robert  the  Bruce 

The  Sacred  River  Ganges 

The  Great  Charter  of  our  Liberties 

The  Pantheon  of  Rome 

The  Parthenon,  a  Perfect  Temple 

Egypt's  Pyramids,  Tombs  of  Great  Kings 

Mecca,  the  Holy  City 

The  Fountain  of  Perpetual  Youth 

Incas  and  their  Land  of  Gold 

Babylon,  the  City  of  a  Hundred  Gates 

Rome,  the  City  of  the  Seven  Hills 

The  Sphinx  and  its  Riddle 

The  Invincible  Spanish  Armada 

Taj  Mahal,  the  Gem  of  India 

Venice,  the  City  of  the  Sea 

Vesuvius  and  her  Buried  Cities 

The  Tower  of  London 

Westminster  Abbey,  England's  Pantheon 

Stories,  Poems  and  Histories  about  all  of  these  things,  and  Pictures 
also,  are  in  the  Free  Public  Library  of  Newark,  N.  J. 

Pomfret's  bright  boys  and  girls  will  look  up  any  of  these  subjects 
that  they  do  not  already  know  about. 

Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  Librarian 


We  have  had  hundreds  of  these  book  marks  made  to  distribute  to  our  towns- 
people,  teachers  and  pupils. 

High  School  teachers,  in  the  state  and  out,  are  sending  for  them,  to  get  subjects 
for  composition  writing. 


26 THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

circular  sent  out  by  the  Newark  Library,  headed  "  All  the  World 
Knows  These  Old  and  Marvellous  Things",  with  a  list  of  thirty 
subjects  following. 

We  have  had  several  hundred  copies  made  of  this  as  book  marks 
and  are  distributing  them  to  our  pupils  and  scattering  them  broadcast. 

A  large  table  holds  samples  of  work  done  by  each  school  in  town. 
Each  teacher  sending  them  at  the  close  of  the  term,  to  remain  till  the 
close  of  the  next  term,  when  they  are  exchanged  for  later  work. 

After  this  I  again  visited  each  school  and  exhibited  and  explained 
a  set  of  pictures  taken  from  celebrated  paintings  by  the  old  masters. 
These  had  been  lent  us  for  a  few  weeks  from  the  Newark  Library. 
Distributing  the  School  Libraries 

The  library  is  situated  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town  at  the 
junction  of  the  stage  routes,  one  leading  to  West  Hartford,  the  other 
running  from  Woodstock  to  Bethel. 

Four  of  the  branch  libraries  are  on  the  West  Hartford  route,  and 
our  highly  esteemed  stage  driver,  Chauncey  Perry,  who  has  had  the 
route  for  40  years,  carries  the  juvenile  books  to  those  libraries,  free  of 
charge.  For  the  transportation  of  the  boxes  he  is  paid  a  small  sum. 
The  other  branch  library  is  across  the  hills,  some  two  miles  distant,  and 
the  people  in  that  neighborhood  attend  to  the  conveying  of  the  books. 

It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  a  boy  1 2  or  fourteen  years  of  age 
who  lives  6  or  8  miles  away,  to  drive  here  and  take  out  25  or  30 
books  to  read  by  himself  in  his  leisure  hours  at  home. 
100  of  the  Best  Novels 

We  have  had  made  a  bookcase  that  is  6  feet  high  and  20  inches 
wide,  with  shelves  6  inches  deep,  and  have  placed  it  in  the  waiting 
room.  This  is  for  the  n  1 00  of  the  best  novels  ",  after  the  list  made  out 
by  the  Newark  Library,  and  is  attracting  considerable  attention. 
Patrons  would  like  to  have  it  said  that  they  had  read  these  1 00  books, 
and  after  reading  them  the  tendency  will  be  to  lessen  their  love  for 
fiction  of  a  lower  standard. 

Kindness  to  Animals 

One  of  our  trustees,  Mrs.  Frank  S.  Mackenzie,  is  so  much  interested 
in  "kindness  to  every  living  thing",  that  she  offered,  in  1909,  to  give 


POMFRET  VERMONT 


27 


The  Public  Library  completes  the  bridge 
along  the  old  highway  of  Public  Education 


POMFRET.  VERMONT o 


The  Public  Library  completes  the  bridge 
along  the  old  highway  of  public  education 

PONS  FRACTV5 


Pomf ret  Vermont  was  settled  from  Pomfret 
Connecticut  and  this  from  Pomfret  England. 
Pomfret  England  took  its  name  from  a 
broken  bridge  built  over  a  stream  at  that 
place  more  than  fifteen  hundred  years  ago 

ROLL  OF  HONOR. 

The  names  of  Pomfret  school 
children  on  the  Roll  of  Honor  at 
the  library  are  read  by  hundreds  of 
visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  United 
States. 

These  boys  and  girls  are  distin- 
guished for  their : 

1  Care  of  books  furnished  by 
the  Town. 

2  Care  of  Library  books. 

3  Care  of  the  school  property 
generally. 

4  Cleanness  of  speech. 

5  Kindness  to  every  living  thing 

6  Habits  of  order  and  neatness. 

7  Politeness. 

8  Truthfulness. 

9  Cheerful  obedience,  and 

10  Various  other  individual  vir- 
tues that  are  necessary  in  order  to 
be  good  and  desirable  citizens. 


Pomfret  Vermont  was  Settled  from  Pom- 
fret  Connecticut  and  this  from  Pomfret 
England.  Pomfret  England  took  its  Name 
from  a  Broken  Bridge  at  that  Place  Built 
More  than  Fifteen  Hundred  Years  Ago 

The  Pomfret  Public  Library  was 
established  in  1 896. 

The  Abbott  Memorial  Building 
was  given  to  the  town  by  Judge 
Ira  A.  Abbott,  August  12,  1905. 
The  two  work  as  a  unit  in  serving 
the  public. 

A  branch  library  containing  52 
books  has  been  established  in 
every  schoolhouse  in  town.  These 
books  are  changed  each  term. 

Each  teacher  in  town  is  a  branch 
librarian. 

A  Business  Men's  Branch  has 
been  opened  at  the  Center,  con- 
taining 300  books,  with  Mr.  Wm. 
A.  Perkins  as  librarian. 

Another  branch  has  been  opened 
at  Hewittville  with  200  books. 
No  fines  are   taken  for   overdue 
books. 


28 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


to  each  school  in  town — if  the  boys  in  school  would  make  a  bookcase 
for  it — a  little  library  of  humane  literature,  and  also  to  send  to  that 
school  for  a  year,  a  copy  of  "Our  Dumb  Animals."  This  was 
accomplished  and  the  books  were  sent  from  time  to  time  to  each  school. 


"I  will  try  to  be  kind  to  all 

living  creatures  and  protect 

them  from  cruel  usage." 

This  simple  pledge  has  been 
signed  probably  by  more  people  in 
the  last  twenty-eight  years  than  ever 
signed  a  single  pledge  in  any  period 
of  that  length  since  the  world 
began.  It  is  even  more  probable 
that  no  other  pledge  has  been  kept 
faithfully  by  so  many  who  took  it  as 
has  this  one. 

Animals  differ  very  little  from 
children  in  showing  the  good  or  bad 
effects  of  their  treatment ;  and,  if  one 
wishes  to  gain  a  fairly  accurate 


HE  BROKEN  BRIDGE:  PON£FRA£.TUS: 
PONTEFRAGT'  POMFRET 

-si  POMFRET.  VERMONT  rs 


insight  into  people's  characters,  let 
him  watch  the  animals  under  their 
care,  which  will  become  silent 
witnesses  for  or  against  them, 
whose  testimony  no  bribe  can 
affect  or  threat  intimidate. 


A  Kindness  to  Animals  Blotter.  One  of  a  set  of  six,  supplied  by  Mrs.  F.  S. 
Mackenzie,  and  distributed  by  the  Library. 

Last  year,  1 9 1 0,  in  five  of  the  schools  of  the  town,  having  altogether 
68  pupils  with  an  average  attendance  of  about  58,  pupils  took  home 
and  read  343  volumes.  These  little  libraries  consist  of  1 2  volumes 
each,  besides  some  six  "  Kindness  to  Animals  "  books,  and  books  read 
from  them  were  in  addition  to  those  read  from  the  regular  libraries  of 
52  volumes  each. 

The  returns  for  the  winter  term,  1910-1  1 ,  show  the  whole  number 
of  pupils  enrolled  in  town  to  be  73.  Average  attendance  63.  Whole 
number  of  loans  from  juvenile  sets,  and  boxes  of  52  volumes  each, 
646. 


The  Barber  School.     Branch  No.  6  of  the  Public  Library. 


POMFRET    VERMONT 


29 


<ITHE  GOOD  CITIZEN  SAYS: 

I  am  a  citizen  of  America  and  an  heir  to  all 
her  greatness  and  renown.  The  health  and 
happiness  of  my  own  body  depend  upon 
each  muscle  and  nerve  and  drop  of  blood 
doing  its  work  in  its  place.  So  the  health 
and  happiness  of  my  country  depend  upon 
each  citizen  doing  his  work  in  his  place. 
CJ  I  will  not  fill  any  post  or  pursue  any 
business  where  I  can  live  upon  my  fellow- 
citizens  without  doing  them  useful  service  in 
return ;  for  I  plainly  see  that  this  must  bring 
suffering  and  want  to  some  of  them. 
1J  I  will  do  nothing  to  desecrate  the  soil  of 
America,  or  pollute  her  air  or  degrade  her 
children,  my  brothers  and  sisters. 
tj  I  will  try  to  make  her  cities  beautiful,  and 
her  citizens  healthy  and  happy,  so  that  she 
may  be  a  desired  home  for  myself  now,  and 
for  her  children  in  days  to  come. 

The     Free     Public     Library    of    Newark,     N.    J.     1910 


We  have  had  a  thousand  of  these  printed,  and  are  having  calls  for 
them  from  the  state  of  Washington  to  New  Mexico,  and  east  to  the 
Atlantic.  Our  teachers  are  having  the  pupils  recite  the  whole  in 
concert.  Taken  from  an  editorial  in  an  English  weekly  journal,  and 
the  word  England  changed  to  America. 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


Pictures  for  all  Purposes 

Our  collection  of  pictures  on  all  sorts  of  subjects  is  growing  rapidly. 
For  help  in  clipping  and  mounting  we  have  a  fine  card  cutter,  the  gift 
of  one  of  our  trustees,  Henry  Brockway.  Part  of  the  work  of  the 
coming  year  will  be  to  get  this  picture  collection  into  running  order. 
We  shall  send  sets  of  mounted  pictures  to  each  branch  library  to  be 
hung  on  the  walls,  the  sets  all  to  make  the  circuit  of  the  town  as  the 
book  boxes  do. 

Then  we  hope  to  classify  and  mount  poems  and  other  desirable 
material,  and  have  them  ready  to  lend  to  teachers. 
Parties  on  the  Library  Grounds 

First  and  last  we  have  had  quite  a  number  of  parties  on  our  library 
grounds.  Three  of  them  were  in  honor  of  life-long  residents  who  had 
passed  the  85th  milestone.  We  should  have  had  more  of  these  parties; 
but  the  old,  old  people  dropped  off  so  fast  that  now  only  two  are  left, 
and  they  are  too  feeble  to  be  with  us. 

At  these  parties  we  had  games  that  were  popular  75  years  ago,  and 
songs,  both  spiritual  and  secular,  that  belonged  to  that  period.  In  the 
matter  of  games  we  were  quite  select  ;  having  some  that  no  one  was 
eligible  to  play  who  had  not  seen  65  summers  ;  others  were  open  to 
those  who  could  truthfully  avow  that  their  birth  dated  back  55  years. 
Our  friends  entered  into  these  mirth-provoking  sports  with  as  much 
enthusiasm  as  our  young  people  show  today  in  their  amusements. 
The  Hosea  Doton  Tree 

We  noted  the  centennial  of  one  of  our  good  men,  Hosea  Doton, 

by  planting  on  the  grounds,  to  his  memory,  an  elm,  that  will  henceforth 

bear  his  name.    A  goodly  number  of  our  townspeople  were  present. 

We  had  addresses,  singing,  and  other  exercises  suitable  for  the  day. 

Party  for  Judge  A  bbott 

When  Judge  Abbott  came  east  in  the  summer  of  1  909,  from  New 
Mexico,  where  he  was  sent  as  a  judge  by  President  Roosevelt,  — 
afterwards  reappointed  by  President  Taft,  —  we  had  a  merry-making 
in  his  honor,  which  called  together  a  company  representing  many  cities 
in  our  Union,  as  well  as  towns  in  our  own  state.  The  afternoon  was 
ideal,  and  seemed  especially  made  for  the  occasion. 


POMFRET   VERMONT 


State  Library  Commission  Meeting 

In  September  1  908,  the  State  Library  Commission  and  the  Ver- 
mont Library  Association  held  a  joint  meeting  on  our  lawn.  State 
Superintendent  of  Schools  Mason  S.  Stone,  Principal  Morrill  of  the 
Randolph  Normal  School,  several  school  superintendents,  together  with 
clergymen,  librarians,  teachers,  and  an  interested  public,  made  a  wide- 
awake audience  which  has  not  yet  forgotten  the  event. 
The  Grange  and  the  Library 

In  speaking  of  what  a  public  library  can  do  for  a  little  community, 
and  what  a  community  can  do  for  a  library,  let  me  say,  if  there  is  a 
Grange  in  your  town,  by  all  means  join  it.  Work  with  it  and  for  it,  and 
the  Grange  will  work  for  you.  Our  Grange  is  invaluable  to  us  ;  always 
loaning  anything  they  have  ;  settees,  chairs,  dishes,  the  use  of  the  hall  ; 
men  to  care  for  the  teams  when  we  have  a  gathering,  and  women  to 
help  in  any  way  that  is  needed. 

The  Church  and  the  Library 

There  is  no  church  at  our  end  of  the  town  ;  but  from  time  to  time 
a  Sunday  afternoon  service  has  been  held  in  a  hall  in  the  second  story 
of  the  schoolhouse.  In  the  winter  of  1909-10  there  had  been  no 
Sunday  service,  so  I  asked  a  number  of  friends  if  they  would  like  to 
come  to  the  library  on  Sunday  afternoons  and  sing  the  old  standard 
hymns  and  tunes. 

I  had  recently  read  an  article  on  old  hymns  and  tunes  and  the 
writer  mentioned  some  25  that  have  become  classics,  and  deeply 
regretted  that  the  young  people  of  today  are  growing  up  with  no 
knowledge  of  them. 

We  met,  and  our  interest  so  increased  that  one  of  the  number 
suggested  that  we  raise  money  and  hire  a  minister  on  our  own  respon- 
sibility, and  have  a  service,  at  first  in  our  library  and  later  in  Grange 
Hall  once  in  two  weeks,  on  Sunday  afternoons,  for  a  year. 

This  has  been  done,  and  we  are  gathering  a  larger  Sunday  audience 
than  the  place  has  known  for  years. 

Grange  Meeting 

Our  Grange  is  made  up  of  young  men  and  young  women  who 
never  have  stood  on  their  feet  and  addressed  an  audience.  The  lyceums 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


that  so  educated  Daniel  Webster  and  men  of  his  time  are  things 
of  the  past  ;  but  the  literary  feature  of  a  Grange  affords  a  fine  chance 
for  discipline  in  the  line  of  debate.  So  when  I  was  made  the  Lecturer 
I  said,  "  Debates  are  what  we  need,  and  debates  we  will  have." 

I  had  been  reading  that  the  man  in  charge  of  the  Music  Department 
in  the  Congressional  Library  at  Washington,  recently  made  the 
remark  that  Dixie  is  the  most  popular  tune  in  the  United  States  ;  but 
soon  found  himself  in  a  hornet's  nest.  The  hornets  arose  as  one  man 
and  said,  "  Let  no  one  dare  say  that  anything  goes  ahead  of  Yankee 
Doodle." 

So  I  said  to  the  Grangers,  we  will  begin  our  literary  program  the 
first  night  with  n  Dixie  "  ;  the  second  with  "  Yankee  Doodle  "  ;  the  third 
with  "When  Johnny  comes  marching  home  n  ;  the  fourth  with  "Marching 
through  Georgia  "  ,  etc. 

Women  Debaters  at  Grange  Meetings 

At  the  first  meeting,  only  men  were  allowed  to  talk,  and  the  women 
alone  did  the  voting  as  to  the  comparative  merits  of  the  arguments 
advanced.  At  the  second  meeting  the  women  only  were  allowed  to 
talk,  and  the  men  did  the  voting.  Since  then  everyone  present  is  called 
on  and  nearly  all  respond.  These  debates  are  open  to  the  public  and 
the  speakers  are  proving  themselves  an  honor  to  the  old  town  that 
raised  them. 

County  Fairs  and  Library  Exhibits 

In  September,  1  9  1  0,  1  sent  a  library  exhibit  to  the  Windsor  county 
fair  in  Woodstock  and  there  received  an  award  for  a  "Meritorious 
Exhibit."  The  articles  shown  were  traveling  libraries  for  use  in  schools 
and  rural  districts,  picture  blotters,  with  directions  for  the  humane  care 
of  animals  ;  book  marks,  bookplates,  letters  to  children  on  the  care  of 
books,  and  various  other  library  devices.  Also,  I  had  in  charge  an  exhibit 
belonging  to  the  state  library  commission. 

Making  the  Library  Known 

From  the  Eighth  Biennial  Report  of  the  Board  of  Library  Com- 
missioners of  Vermont,  1  909-  1  0  : 

"  During  the  first  year  of  its  work  the  Publicity  Committee  received 
a  gift  of  $  1  0  to  be  awarded  as  a  prize  to  the  librarian  presenting  at  the 


The  Barber  School,  at  work. 


POMFRET  VERMONT 


33 


next  annual  meeting  the  best  collection  of  library  notes  published  in  the 
local  press.  This  prize  was  won  by  Miss  Kate  I.  Stewart  of  the 
Bristol  library.  The  following  year  the  committee  received  the  sum  of 


THE  BROKEN  BRIDGE":  PONS  FRACTUS 
PONTEFRAGT'  POMFRET 


r^i  POMFPET.  VERMONT  fa 


PONS   FRACTV5 


BOOKS  EVERY  BOY  AND  GIRL 
SHOULD  READ. 

Brandon.  Pup :  an  Autobiography 

of  a  Greyhound 
Brown.  Rab  and  his  Friends 
Ollivant.  Bob,  son  of  Battle 
Ouida.  A  Dog  of  Flanders 
Phelps.  Loveliness 
Saunders.  Beautiful  Joe 
Seton.  Animal  Heroes 
Sewell.  Black  Beauty 
Walton.  A  Hermit's  Wild  Friends 

WHAT  SCHOOL  BOY  HAS  NOT 
READ  THESE  BOOKS? 

Blackmore.  Lorna  Doone 
Brooks.    True  story  of   Abraham 
Lincoln 


Crowninshield.    All    Among   the 

Lighthouses 

French.  Lance  of  Kanana 
Hugo.  Story  of  Jean  Valjean 
Sewell.  Black  Beauty 
Warner.  Being  a  boy 

WHAT  SCHOOL  GIRL  HAS  NOT 
READ  THESE  BOOKS  ? 

Bunyan.  Pilgrim's  Progress 

Burt.    Poems   every   child    should 

know 

Dickens.  Cricket  on  the  hearth 
Hawthorne.  Wonderbook 
Keller.  Story  of  my  life 
Spyri.  Heidi 
Wyss.  Swiss  Family  Robinson 


We  have  these  book  marks  printed  by  the  hundreds,  and  give  them  to  all  our  boys 
and  girls,  townspeople,  and  out  of  town  visitors  to  the  library. 


34 THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

$  1  5  to  be  awarded  in  two  prizes  of  $  1 0  and  $5  each.  The  first  prize 
was  won  by  Mrs.  Abba  D.  Chamberlin  of  Pomfret  and  the  second  by 
Miss  Kate  I.  Stewart."  Pomfret  had  52  "Abbott  Library  Notes." 

The  following  appeared  in  one  of  the  Woodstock  papers,  Jan.  26, 
1911.  It  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  kind  of  news  notes  sent  out  by 
the  library  from  time  to  time.  It  also  indicates  the  wide  range  of 
interests  that  are  touched  upon  and  responded  to  in  the  Pomfret  of 
to-day. 

ABBOTT  LIBRARY  NOTES 

The  month  of  February  seems  especially  rich  in  first-class  entertain- 
ments for  the  Pomfret  people. 

For  February  3,  Superintendent  In  galls  has  planned  an  all-day  rally 
at  the  town  hall  for  the  school  children,  teachers,  parents,  and  every 
one  interested. 

Each  one  is  supposed  to  bring  a  basket  lunch. 

The  morning  will  be  devoted  to  recitations,  etc.,  by  the  different 
schools,  also  an  exhibit  of  their  work  along  various  lines. 

The  afternoon  will  be  given  up  to  discussions  by  the  grown  people 
on  educational  topics. 

In  the  evening  conies  Professor  Cady's  lecture  on  Shakespeare's 
clowns,  to  which  the  school  children  are  given  free  tickets. 

Grange  hall  on  February  9,  Rev.  H.  L.  Canfield  is  engaged  to  give 
his  lecture,  "  Some  plays  and  players  I  have  known." 

Listening  to  this  wide-awake,  delightful  recital,  is  next  to  being  able 
to  attend  these  wonderful  plays. 

We  ought  to  have  a  full  house.  Admission  1 0  cents. 

February  1  7  brings  us  Professor  Burrage  of  Middlebury  college, 
whose  subject  is  "  The  Agamemnon  of  Aeschylus "  ( 111. )  and  on 
February  1 8  the  celebrated  Kellogg-Haines  Singing  Party  comes  to 
Woodstock. 

Abba  D.  Chamberlin,  Librarian 
January  26 'II 

The  following  notes,  also  taken  from  local  newspapers,  were  sent  in 
by  me: 

When  Moses  Shipman  gives  his   services  to  the  town  he  gives 


POMFRET  VERMONT 


35 


generously.  His  fine  path  to  the  library,  nine  feet  wide,  with  walls 
four  feet  high  on  either  side,  shows  what  a  snow  shovel  in  his 
hands  can  be  made  to  do,  and  is  receiving  much  well-deserved 
commendation. 

Messrs.  Childs  and  White,  with  the  snow  roller  and  four-in-hand, 
are  making  the  roads  around  here  regular  boulevards.  Vermont  snow 
storms  can  make  little  headway  with  this  sort  of  men  at  the  helm. 

The  photographer,  W.  H.  Swan  of  Rutland,  has  received  from 
Hattie  L.  Chandler  an  order  for  a  portrait  of  her  father,  the  late  David 
Chandler,  to  be  given  in  due  time  to  the  library."  March  7,  1 908. 

Post  cards,  containing  outside  and  inside  views  of  the  building,  are 
now  here  and  for  sale.  March  1 6,  1 908. 

Sunday,  May  1  7,  Mrs.  Samuel  Paul  will  be  "  84  years  young  ",  and 
Saturday,  May  23,  Smith  Hodges  will  have  reached  the  same  mile- 
stone. Now  these  young  friends,  together  with  everybody  else,  old 
and  young,  in  Pomfret  and  elsewhere,  are  cordially  invited  to  meet  at 


GOLDEN  RULES  FOR 
THE  HORSE 

Always  speak  to  a  horse  as  you 

would  to  a  gentleman. 
He  who  is  not  actively  kind,  is 

cruel 
The  man  who  is  cruel  to  animals 

is  himself  a  brute 

Cruelty   accomplishes  nothing  — 
Kindness  is  wisdom;    who 

but  a  fool  delights  in  cruelty 
The  wise  man  knows  that  cruelty 

only  makes  matters  worse 
Be  kind  to  the  horse,  remember 

that  he  is  a  dumb  animal 
Don't  expect  the  understanding  of 

a  man 
Don't  think  him  ugly  or  contrary 

or  you  will  make  him  so 


THE,  ABBOTT  MEMORIAL' 

*^  LI6RARY  '^  ••#;; 


PONTETRAGT'  POMFRET 

POMFRET.  VERMONT  ^. 


Don't  punish  him  for  every  wrong 
he  does, — try  to  put  yourself 
in  his  place 

Follow  the  Golden  Rule  and  treat 
your  horse  as  you  would 
wish  him  to  treat  you  if 
conditions  were  reversed 


A  Kindness  to  Animals  Blotter.    One  of  a  set  of  six,  supplied  by  Mrs.  F.  S. 
Mackenzie,  and  distributed  by  the  Library. 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


the  library  Wednesday  afternoon,  May  20,  between  the  hours  of  one 
and  five  o'clock  and  enjoy  a  good  old-time,  all-round  handshake  and 
visit.  If  stormy,  come  the  first  pleasant  day. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mrs.  Henry  Boynton  for  1  6  bound  volumes  of 
the  "Atlantic  Monthly  ",  and  five  bound  volumes  of  "  The  Westminster 
Review  ",  and  to  Miss  Earlie  Chase  for  "  The  Christian  Science 
Journal"  and  "Christian  Science  Sentinel",  and  to  Mrs.  George 
Thompson  for  copies  of  "The  Congregationalist",  and  to  Mrs.  R.  M. 
Russell  for  "The  Wayside  Pulpit",  and  Andrew  Harding  has  been 
improving  the  appearance  outside  by  "  Lending  a  Hand  "  on  the  lawn. 
May  14,1908. 

The  flower  beds  are  gladdened  by  bulbs  from  A.  B.  Jaquith. 
May  28,  1908. 

The  flower  beds  are  again  made  glad  by  bulbs  from  A.  B. 
Jaquith.  We  have  also  received  bulbs  from  Mrs.  R.  N.  Bumham  ;  and 
"  Lilies  of  the  Valley  "  from  Mrs.  Andrew  Harding  and  Mrs.  Samuel 
Paul  ;  and  potted  vines  from  Mrs.  Chas.  Reed.  May  30,  1  908. 

Hon.  Elton  A.  Smith  generously  gave  us  a  revolutionary  gun  that 
once  belonged  to  Joel  Perkins,  one  of  our  early  settlers,  and  Moses 
Shipman  has  supplemented  this  gift  with  a  priming  brush  and  flint. 
We  trust  that  other  guns  that  have  seen  service,  either  in  the 
revolutionary  or  civil  war,  will  be  loaned  or  given  to  keep  it  company. 
November  28,  1908. 

Moses  Shipman  is  again  wielding  the  snow  shovel,  and  we  have 
paths  as  broad  as  those  are  supposed  to  be  that  lead  up  to  the  pearly 
gates.  December  2  6,  1908. 

When  our  out-of-town  friends  as  well  as  our  townspeople,  drive  up 
to  the  library,  securely  fasten  and  blanket  the  horse,  come  in  and  lay- 
ing aside  their  wraps  take  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  hours  in  looking 
over  the  books,  we  are  surely  led  to  feel  that  the  library  has  a  mission. 

Our  long  talked  of  album  to  hold  the  photographs  of  our  ancestors 
and  present  townsmen,  the  expense  of  which  is  met  by  Judge  Carnes 
of  Sycamore,  111.,  is  in  process  of  construction,  Mr.  Fisher  of  Wood- 
stock doing  the  work.  The  wood  used  will  be  black  cherry,  given  by 


POMFRET    VERMONT 37_ 

our  friend  Ned  W.  Maxham.  Each  leaf  will  hold  16  pictures  of 
cabinet  size.  January  4,  1 909. 

All  available  room  on  our  walls  for  large  pictures  is  already  taken, 
and  the  album  now  comes  to  the  rescue.  It  is  constructed  in  such  a 
way  that  it  can  be  enlarged  indefinitely,  and  all  past,  present  and 
future  generations  of  Pomfret  people  can  be  received  within  its 
embrace.  February  18,  1909. 

From  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Billings  we  have  received  valuable 
relics  that  belonged  to  the  late  William  Billings,  who  drove  the  stage 
from  Woodstock  to  Bethel  for  32  years;  some  of  his  "way  bills" 
dating  back  to  1847. 

A  few  days  ago  a  1 4  year  old  lad  from  a  remote  part  of  the  town 
drove  over  here  and  selected  and  carried  home  30  books  to  keep 
himself  in  reading  through  the  bad  spring  travelling.  This  boy  does  a 
great  deal  of  farm  work  aside  from  his  reading,  and  is  of  the  pattern 
that  Pomfret  used  to  raise. 

We  are  thankful  that  the  old  stock  is  not  running  out.  It  pays  to 
build  libraries  for  boys  of  this  type.  March  1  3,  1 909. 

We  had  been  wishing  for  a  long,  long  time  that  some  one  would 
give  us  a  good  old  snuffbox  for  the  relic  room  and  finally  it  came,  and 
now  Mrs.  Samuel  Paul  has  given  us  another.  This  one  belonged  to 
her  husband's  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  Thompson  Paul,  and  is  very,  very 
old.  These  snuffboxes,  coming  to  us  from  the  far  away  past,  still 
retain  the  fragrance  of  years  gone  by,  and  in  imagination  we  feel 
refreshed  as  did  their  worthy  owners  in  the  good  old  times.  August 
13,  1909. 

Several  ladies  from  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  who  were 
stopping  at  the  Woodstock  Inn,  took  pains  to  examine  every  book  in 
the  box,  at  the  County  Fair  exhibit,  and  were  so  much  interested  in 
them  that  they  came  up  in  a  few  days  to  give  the  library  a  good  looking 
over,  and  a  day  or  two  later  sent  relatives  for  the  same  purpose. 

"  Such  a  high  standard  of  books,  clear  back  here  in  the  country ! " 

Well,  we  like  to  surprise  people  in  such  ways.  October  20,  1 909. 

Edward  Everett  Hale  in  his  "  Tarry  at  Home  Travels  ",  page  94, 
said,  "Then,  alas!  Satan  came  walking  up  and  down.  And  he 


38_ THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

devised  methods  of  making  paper  from  wood  pulp.  .  .  Well,  Satan 
came  walking  up  and  down  our  highway  and  devised  methods  of 
having  innumerable  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wasps  build  mud  homes  in  the 
library  attic,  all  over  the  roof,  even  to  the  top. 

A  friend  stepped  into  the  library  one  morning  and  said, "  What  are 
you  going  to  do  today  ? " 

B  Thwart  the  works  of  Satan ! "  was  the  reply. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  do  it  ? " 

"  I'm  going  to  carry  a  step  ladder  into  the  attic,  together  with  Uncle 
Lemuel  Murdock's  old  pitchfork,  and  Uncle  Joel  Perkins*  old  Revo- 
lutionary bayonet,  and  a  rake  handle  that  Frank  Gillingharn  gave  me 
to  go  with  my  outside  window  brush." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  then  ?  " 

"  Tie  the  bayonet  to  the  rake  handle,  climb  the  step  ladder  and  rap 
down  the  highest  nests.  Get  the  others  down  with  the  pitchfork." 

And  it  was  done.    November  5,  1909. 

In  the  near  future  there  is  to  be  established  in  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Perkins' 
store,  at  Pomfret  Center,  a  "  Business  Men's  Branch  "  of  this  library, 
with  Mr.  Perkins  as  librarian. 

A  bookcase  is  being  made  for  the  purpose,  to  hold  1 00  books. 

The  new  agricultural  books,  which  the  trustees  are  about  to  pur- 
chase, will  be  placed  there,  also  a  set  of  encyclopedias,  some  good 
biography,  history,  travels,  up  to  date  novels,  etc. 

Mr.  Perkins  will  from  time  to  time  bring  back  some  of  these  books 
and  exchange  them  for  others  which  his  patrons  may  be  wishing  to 
read. 

We  predict  for  this  branch  of  the  work — much  success. 
March  18  1911 


Branch  Libraries 

As  published  in  the  newspaper  note  above,  a  Branch  Library  has 
been  established  at  the  Center,  in  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Perkins*  store,  with  a 
special  bookcase  and  300  volumes.  The  books  are  changed  from 
time  to  time.  Mr.  Perkins  acts  as  librarian.  Everybody  borrows  books 
who  wishes  to. 


POMFRET   VERMONT 39 

In  Hewittville  there  is  also  a  Branch  Library,  open  at  all  times  to  all 
comers,  and  containing  about  200  volumes. 

The  location  of  the  Main  Library,  the  two  Branches,  and  the  six 
Schoolhouse  Branches  should  be  noted  in  the  sketch  map  of  the  town 
printed  on  another  page. 

Foreign  Visitors 

Within  the  last  four  years,  over  1 200  out-of-town  visitors  have  regis- 
tered at  the  library ;  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  as  well 
as  Canada  and  Europe ! 

The  Librarian  at  Large 

I  have  "  talked  or  read  or  taught "  at  library  meetings  at  Burlington, 
Middlebury,  St.  Johnsbury,  Lyndonville,  Vershire,  Proctorsville  and 
Bellows  Falls. 

The  Summing  Up 

What  this  library  has  done  within  the  last  four  years,  any  library  in 
the  state  can  do. 

The  only  things  necessary  are  common-sense,  enthusiasm,  and 
willingness  to  work' 


40  THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


Letter   from   Judge  Abbott,  who   gave  to   Pomfret  the 
Library  Building. 

Supreme  Court  of  New  Mexico 

Albuquerque,  N.  M.,  May  26,  1910 
Dear  Mr.  Dana : 

I  have  read  your  letter  of  May  1 4th  relating  to  the  work  of  Mrs. 
Chamberlin  as  librarian  of  the  library  at  South  Pomfret,  Vermont,  with 
much  interest  and  pleasure.  I  know  very  little  about  the  details  of 
public  library  work  and  am  therefore  especially  glad  to  have  your 
assurance  that  Mrs.  Chamberlin's  administration  is  so  highly  successful 
as  you  say  it  is.  I  have  had  misgivings  as  to  the  wisdom  of  my  course 
in  giving  a  library  building  to  a  town  so  small  as  Pomfret,  especially  as 
the  topography  of  the  region  made  it  impossible  so  to  locate  the 
library  that  it  could  be  conveniently  reached  from  all  parts  of  the  town  ; 
but  Mrs.  Chamberlin  has  apparently  solved  the  problem  through  an 
adaptation  of  Mahomet's  compromise  with  the  Mountain ! 

The  plan  you  suggest  for  issuing  a  pamphlet  descriptive  of  the 
library's  work  has  my  cordial  approval.  It  is  very  fortunate  that  the 
library  has  found  such  friends  as  yourself  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie, 
through  whom  its  sphere  of  usefulness  will,  I  hope,  be  so  greatly 
extended.  Sbce  there  are  comparatively  so  few  people  living  in  the 
vicinity  to  profit  directly  by  the  library,  it  is  the  more  fortunate  that 
Mrs.  Chamberlin  has  there  shown  a  spirit  and  set  in  operation  methods 
which  will,  I  trust,  indirectly  benefit  my  native  state  entire ;  and  whose 
light  may  even  shine  beyond  its  borders,  if  I  may  credit  the  kind 
assurance  of  yourself  and  others  on  the  subject.  If  that  happens,  I 
shall  feel  abundantly  repaid  for  what  I  have  done  in  establishing  the 
library. 

Yours  truly, 

IRA  A.  ABBOTT. 


Judge  Ira  A.  Abbott. 


POMFRET   VERMONT 


Historical  Sketch  of  Pomfret 
By  Walter  E.  Perkins 

Geographically,  Pomfret  is  equidistant  from  Boston,  Mass.,  and 
Montreal,  P.  Q.  It  occupies  a  position  in  the  second  tier  of  towns 
from  the  Connecticut  River,  in  the  central  portion  of  Windsor 
County.  An  Act  of  the  Legislature  in  1  807,  annexed  to  Sharon  that 
portion  of  the  town  lying  north  of  the  White  River,  and  an  Act  in 
1  880,  annexed  to  Woodstock  that  portion  lying  south  of  Ottaquechee 
River. 

Geologists  affirm  that  in  the  preglacial  period,  the  surface  was  com- 
paratively level,  but  while  under  the  ice  sheet  and  during  the  process 
of  erosion,  the  conformation  was  so  greatly  changed,  that  it  now  lies  in 
an  altitude  ranging  from  four  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet  above  sea 
level.  The  general  rock  formation  is  blue  limestone,  but  the  higher 
altitudes  show  an  outcropping  of  granite,  which  in  places  bears  a  glacial 
marking. 

The  early  settlers  found  the  surface  covered  with  a  heavy  forest 
growth,  excepting  ninety  acres  of  intervale  land,  growing  the  native 
grass.  Many  of  the  most  productive  acres  are  at  an  altitude  ranging 
from  one  thousand  to  eighteen  hundred  feet. 

The  charter  was  from  Benning  Wentworth,  Colonial  Governor  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  dated  July  8,  1  76  1  .  It  was  obtained  by  Isaac 
Dana  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  to  whom  the  town  owes  its  name.  The 
conditions  of  the  charter  specified  that  Governor  Wentworth  have  a 
special  right  of  five  hundred  acres.  The  remainder  was  divided  into 
seventy  equal  rights,  four  sequestered  for  public  and  pious  use  and 
sixty-six  granted  to  individuals.  A  large  portion  of  the  rights  were 
given  to  the  relatives  and  neighbors  of  Mr.  Dana.  Of  the  remainder  : 
one  went  to  the  Governor's  brother,  Hunkin  Wentworth;  seven  to 
the  Sharp  family,  who  were  heirs  of  John  White  of  Boston  ;  the  balance 
to  the  favorites  of  the  Governor,  including  Edward  Holyoke,  president 
of  Harvard  college  and  Henry  Caner,  rector  of  King's  Chapel, 
Boston. 

In  October,  1  76  1  ,  came  the  first  survey  of  the  town  with  the  laying 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


out  of  a  lot  of  land  to  each  right.  Then  followed  many  years  of  con- 
troversy respecting  the  jurisdiction  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants. 
Before  conditions  were  ripe  for  settlement,  occurred  the  death  of  Isaac 
Dana.  His  son,  John  W.  Dana,  two  sons-in-law,  John  Throop  and 
Simeon  Sessions,  and  grandson,  Darius  Sessions,  were  the  only 
patentees  who  became  settlers. 

The  settlement  of  the  town  began  in  1  770.  The  organization  was 
effected  March  17,  1  773.  The  settlers  came  principally  from  north- 
eastern Connecticut  and  southeastern  Massachusetts.  The  largest 
number  was  from  the  adjoining  town  of  Woodstock,  Conn.,  with 
Bridgewater,  Mass.,  a  close  second.  Among  the  settlers  I  note  two 
scholars  who  left  literary  work  of  a  high  order,  Aaron  Hutchinson 
and  Jonathan  Ware.  As  this  sketch  is  limited  to  a  certain  number  of 
words,  I  must  leave  the  early  history  at  this  point. 

The  population  reached  the  maximum  point  around  the  year  1  830 
and  a  score  of  little  red  schoolhouses  dotted  the  town.  The  advent 
of  the  steam  railway  and  opening  up  of  the  western  prairie  for  settle- 
ment, was  followed  by  an  abandonment  of  back  hill  farms.  During 
the  past  year  I  have  traveled  over  many  of  these  abandoned  farms 
and  find  that  they  are  becoming  reforested.  They  are  rapidly  returning 
to  the  conditions  existing  prior  to  the  coming  of  the  settler. 

Several  individuals  have  at  different  times  given  the  town  the  whole 
or  a  portion  of  their  estate  for  the  benefit  of  the  deserving  poor.  The 
following  is  a  list  with  date  of  gift  :  Abigail  Washburn,  1  844  ;  Kim- 
ball  Russ,  1875;  Charles  Hutchinson,  1895;Zebedee  Churchill, 
1899;  Rush  C.Hawkins,  1900. 

The  practice  of  retaining  a  public  servant  in  continuous  service  has 
prevailed  as  a  rule.  A  list  of  those  longest  in  service  :  Otis  Chamberlin, 
clerk,  forty-eight  years  ;  Abida  Smith,  treasurer,  thirty  years  and  select- 
man sixteen  ;  Edwin  Allen,  constable,  nineteen  years  ;  Isaiah  Tinkham, 
Jr.,  overseer  of  poor  eleven  years  and  justice  of  peace  twenty-nine. 
Crosby  Miller  was  treasurer  for  twenty-six  years,  and  Gardner 
Winslow  justice  of  peace  for  the  same  number.  William  Perry  was 
representative  to  the  General  Assembly  eight  years. 

State  and  County  offices  held  by  men  while  residing  in  town  : 
Superior  Court  Judge,  John  Throop  three  years  and  eight  months  ; 


POMFRET    VERMONT 43_ 

Probate  Judge,  John  Throop  ten  years  and  William  Perry  five; 
Assistant  Judge,  Daniel  Dana  two  years,  John  Bridge  five,  Gardner 
Winslow  two,  Crosby  Miller  ten,  Charles  H.  Maxham  seventeen,  and 
holds  the  office  at  the  present  time ;  State  Councilor,  John  Throop 
seven  years ;  State  Senator,  Crosby  Miller,  Hosea  Doton,  Ora  Paul, 
Homer  W.  Vail  and  Fred  L.  Davis;  appointed  to  State  Board  of 
Agriculture,  Ora  Paul,  Albro  E.  Perkins  and  Homer  W.  Vail. 

The  compiler  of  this  work  asks  that  I  name  a  number  of  men  who 
went  out  from  the  town.  I  find  the  task  most  embarrassing,  because 
several  hundred  went  forth  and  well  filled  their  places  in  the  world. 
An  imperfect  census  shows  that  on  nearly  one  hundred  were  conferred 
college  degrees.  Of  this  number,  twenty-five  were  by  Dartmouth 
College,  sixteen  by  the  State  University,  sixteen  by  Norwich  University, 
and  the  balance  by  colleges  throughout  the  country.  Risen  to 
affluence :  Henry  H.  Vail,  New  York ;  Jason  Bailey,  Boston.  To  the 
Judiciary  of  the  country  ;  Judah  Dana,  Maine ;  Elmer  B.  Adams, 
Missouri ;  Ira  A.  Abbott,  New  Mexico ;  Duane  J.  Carnes,  Illinois. 
Distinction  in  various  fields:  Orlando  D.  Miller,  D.  D.,  philologist, 
honorary  member  of  Victoria  Institute,  Great  Britain,  1 88 1  ;  Edwin 
M.  Snow,  Providence,  R.  L,  recipient  of  diamond  decoration  from 
the  Russian  government,  1872  ;  Hosea  Doton,  a  teacher  in  Pomfret, 
of  whom  it  has  been  written,  "  he  stands  by  far  the  greatest  single 
influence  toward  the  right  in  the  town's  life " ;  Judah  Dana,  U.  S. 
Senator  from  Maine  for  three  terms ;  Judah  Dana  2d,  fifty-five  years 
a  school  teacher  and  Principal  of  State  Normal  School ;  Israel  P.  Dana, 
founder  and  long  time  president  of  Vermont  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company ;  Thomas  O.  Seaver,  colonel  of  third  Vermont  Volunteers, 
winner  of  medal  of  honor  for  distinguished  gallantry  in  action,  Spottsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Virginia,  May  1 0,  1 864 ;  Rush  C.  Hawkins, 
Brevet  Brigadier  General,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  December  1 4,  1 866  ; 
Crosby  P.  Miller,  half  a  century  of  continuous  service  in  the  United 
States  army ;  Lorenzo  D.  Hawkins,  inventor  of  shoe  machinery ; 
Benjamin  F.  Mason,  portrait  painter ;  Marshall  Conant,  Principal  of 
Normal  School,  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  author  of  Astronomy  and  Navi- 
gation, a  treatise ;  Edward  Conant,  Superintendent  of  Education  and 
author  of  Vermont,  a  history ;  Evelyn  Wood  Lovejoy,  historian  of 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


Royalton  and  author  of  works  of  fiction  ;  Norman  C.  Perkins,  author 
of  the  poems,  June  Training  and  District  School  ;  Isaac  D.  Williamson, 
D.  D.,  editor  of  the  Star  of  the  West  and  author  of  numerous  books  ; 
able  writers,  Robert  A.  Perkins  of  the  Rutland  Herald  and  Augustin 
Snow  of  the  New  York  Times.  In  company  with  the  above  is  one 
who  did  not  leave  town,  Edmond  C.  Sherburne,  author  of  Songs  of 
a  Deeper  Note,  a  book  of  poems.  Miss  Fairfax  Harding  Sherburne 
in  1910,  when  she  was  1  6  years  old,  wrote  an  essay  on  the  Morgan 
Horse,  which  won  the  prize  offered  by  the  Vermonter  for  the  best 
essay  on  the  subject. 

Progressive  agriculture  has  been  fostered  through  the  agency  of  the 
Farmers'  Club,  organized  in  1887,  and  through  two  branches  of  the 
Order  of  Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

The  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  the  town  was 
observed  with  appropriate  exercises,  June  15,  1870. 

The  present  population  of  the  town  is  a  little  above  seven  hundred. 

Pomfret's  most  important  product  in  a  century  is  the  large  number 
of  men  it  produced  and  sent  forth  to  occupy  the  highest  positions  in 
the  industrial  and  political  world,  not  to  mention  those  who  remained 
in  town  and  maintained  its  character.  While  its  citizens  are  engaged 
in  constructive  agriculture  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  occupations,  they 
read  and  enjoy  the  best  of  the  world's  classics.  The  judicial  officers 
have  no  law  suits  to  adjudicate  and  neighborhood  quarrels  are 
unknown.  In  no  other  Vermont  town  is  the  simple  life  exemplified  in 
a  larger  degree. 


Trees  which  defy  the  storms  and  winters  of  a  Pomfret  hilltop. 
1600  feet  above  sea  level. 


POMFRET  VERMONT 


45 


About  six  Miles  square 

Pomfret  Vermont 


The  figures  are  heights  above  »ea  level.  The  Library  is  about  three  miles  from 
Woodstock.  Roads,  streams  and  houses  are  not  drawn  to  scale.  The  map  was 
designed  to  suggest  the  hilly  character  of  the  town  and  the  fact  that  the  population 
of  700  is  scattered  over  an  area  of  36  square  miles. 


46 THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

Pomfret  Statistics 

Population  1791,710;  1830.  1867,  maximum;  1910,700. 

Total  expenditures  of  the  town,  1 9 1 0,  $9 1 00. 

Paid  for  schools,  1910,  $2924.59. 

Teachers*  wages,  1910,  about  $33  per  month. 

Children,  5  to  18,  1910,  160. 

Number  of  schools,  1 9 1 0,  6. 

Pupils  in  schools  in  town,  1910,  80. 

Pupils  in  high  schools  out  of  town,  tuition  paid  by  town,  1910,  22. 

Number  of  schoolhouses  in  town,  1 850,  17;  1 9 1 0,  6. 

Since  1  775  young  men  and  women  of  the  town  have  graduated  from 

colleges,  universities  and  medical  schools  to  the  number,  according  to 

an  incomplete  census,  of  120. 


Libraries  and  Books  in  Pomfret 
By  Walter  E.  Perkins. 

Pomfret's  first  book  club  came  at  the  opening  of  the  1 9th  Century. 
Incidentally  the  organization  was  effected  at  the  town's  first  tavern, 
raised  June  4,  1  782,  it  being  the  first  framed  house  in  town. 

The  first  paragraph  of  its  records  tells  of  the  club's  purposes. 

"  Pursuant  to  agreement  a  number  of  persons  met  at  the  house  of 
Maj.  Elisha  Smith  in  Pomfret  on  the  25th  day  of  December,  A.  D., 
1 804,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  library  for  the  mutual  benefit  of 
each  other  and  forming  themselves  into  a  society, — and  agreeable  to 
an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  passed  November 
6th,  1 800,  incorporating  the  Social  Library  Societies  within  this  State, 
they  proceeded  as  follows :  Made  choice  of  Capt.  John  Miller, 
moderator ;  Dr.  Fred  Ware,  clerk ;  Capt.  Increase  Hewitt,  Col.  Israel 
P.  Dana  end  Rev.  Ignatius  Thompson,  select  committee." 

The  select  committee  was  the  judicial  power  in  the  club  and  fixed 


___ POMFRET  VERMONT 47 

the  amount  of  damages  in  certain  cases.  It  also  adjudicated  questions 
at  issue  between  a  member  and  the  librarian. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  twenty-two  Articles  of  Association  were 
adopted. 

Any  person  could  become  a  member  by  signing  the  Articles  and 
purchasing  one  share  at  $  1 .50.  Each  shareholder  was  annually  to  pay 
into  the  treasury  twenty-five  cents  for  the  benefit  of  the  library,  under 
the  penalty  of  forfeiting  the  enjoyment  of  the  share  if  not  paid.  The 
salient  feature  of  the  Articles  would  seem  to  be  their  strenuous 
rigidity,  indicating  a  reverence  for  the  Library  as  a  sacred  institution. 

The  town's  meeting  house  referred  to  in  the  records  was  located 
on  a  hill  half  a  mile  east  of  the  present  Town  Hall  and  was  built  by 
a  tax  upon  the  real  estate,  authorized  by  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature, 
October  25th,  1785.  The  house  was  destroyed  by  fire  March  1, 
1831. 

"  The  Library  shall  be  kept  within  one  mile  of  the  Meeting  house 
in  Pomfret.  All  books  shall  be  returned  to  the  Librarian  at  ten  in  the 
forenoon  of  the  day  of  the  Annual  meeting,  under  the  penalty  of  for- 
feiting fifty  cents  for  the  neglect  of  each  book.  Each  book  shall  be 
returned  to  the  Librarian  by  some  member  of  the  society  or  their 
family  ;  if  it  is  sent  in  otherwise  each  share  shall  forfeit  fifty  cents  for 
every  such  offence.  Every  share  shall  be  subject  to  the  following  fines : 
for  every  leaf  turned  down ;  for  every  grease  spot  on  each  leaf ;  for 
every  corner  of  a  leaf  torn  off  without  affecting  the  reading ;  for  every 
scratch  on  the  cover  of  the  book ;  for  every  ink  blot ;  for  every  spot 
soiled  in  a  book,  four  cents  each.  For  writing  in  a  book,  twenty  cents 
for  every  line.  For  cutting,  tearing  or  burning  a  leaf  in  a  book  so  as  to 
affect  the  reading,  or  damaging  the  cover  of  a  book,  to  be  submitted 
to  the  committee.  No  member  shall  lend  a  book  out  of  his  or  her 
house  under  forfeiting  fifty  cents." 

It  was  voted  to  have  all  books  "  covered  with  Tan'd  Sheep  Skin  ", 
and  also  that  they  be  vendued  to  the  members  upon  the  first  occasion 
of  being  loaned  out.  At  the  vendue  the  highest  sum  was  paid  by 
David  Dana,  who  gave  thirty-two  cents  for  the  privilege  of  reading 
Russell's  History  of  Ancient  Europe. 

The  books  owned  by  this  club  numbered  1 3 1  and  might  properly 


THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


be  classified  as  follows:  History,  47;  Religion,  33;  Literature,  30; 
Biography,  1  3  ;  Science,  7  ;  Fiction,  1  .  I  have  a  complete  list  of  the 
books. 

Jonathan  Ware,  about  1823,  erected  a  building  of  logs  upon  his 
farm  known  as  Thistle  Hill,  and  conducted  a  school  for  instruction  in 
the  higher  branches.  One  authority  states  that  his  library  numbered 
"several  thousand  volumes",  but  the  number  may  have  been  over- 
estimated. The  greater  portion  of  his  books  were  classics,  and  it  is 
reasonably  certain  that  at  that  period  his  collection  was  one  of  the 
most  extensive  and  valuable  to  be  found  in  a  country  town  having  no 
public  library. 

The  second  book  club  was  organized  at  the  house  the  town  erected 
by  a  tax  on  the  grand  list,  as  a  home  for  the  first  settled  minister.  The 
minister,  in  addition  to  his  salary,  acquired  from  the  town  the  "  Minis- 
ter's Right",  three  hundred  acres  of  land  in  fee  simple,  and  Mr. 
Chandler  was  the  first  permanent  owner  of  the  parsonage  after  the 
passing  of  Rev.  Elisha  Hutchinson. 

The  records  run  : 

"  Pursuant  to  previous  notice  and  agreement  a  number  of  persons 
met  at  the  house  of  Josiah  Chandler  in  Pomfret  on  the  29th  day  of 
November,  A.  D.  1  826,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  library  for  the 
benefit  and  improvement  of  the  children  who  shall  attend  the  Sabbath 
School  in  Pomfret  and  of  forming  themselves  into  a  society,  proceeded 
as  follows  :  Made  choice  of  Rev.  Samuel  Marsh,  moderator  ;  David 
Chandler,  clerk  ;  John  Miller,  David  Dana  and  Warham  Miller,  select 
committee." 

A  series  of  twelve  by-laws  was  adopted,  which  appear  to  have  been 
largely  copied  from  the  records  of  the  Social  Library  and  were 
prefixed  by  the  following  preamble: 

"  We,  the  subscribers,  for  the  promotion  of  youthful  improvement  in 
religion  and  morals,  agree  to  form  a  library  for  the  use  of  the  children 
who  shall  attend  the  Sabbath  School  in  Pomfret,  for  the  purpose  of 
studying  and  committing  to  memory  the  Sacred  Scriptures  ;  and  engage 
that  we  be  governed  and  the  concerns  of  the  library  be  conducted 
agreeably  to  the  following  articles." 

The  library  was  to  be  kept  at  the  "  Meeting  House  in  Pomfret  ", 


POMFRET    VERMONT  49 

and  be  open  at  noon  each  Sabbath.  A  subscription  of  twenty- five 
cents  would  entitle  a  person  to  vote  for  officers,  and  seventy-three  books 
were  purchased  by  subscription  at  the  time.  Since  the  above  date  the 
Congregational  Church  has  maintained  to  the  present  day  a  Sabbath 
School  library. 

The  Methodist  Church  organization  maintained  a  small  library  but 
no  records  are  available  by  which  the  date  of  its  birth  can  be  located. 
The  Church  organization  was  effected  in  the  early  part  of  the  century  ; 
but  the  Recording  Steward's  record,  which  is  still  preserved,  opens 
with  the  year  1840.  A  Church  edifice  was  erected  in  1850  and  a 
book  case  was  built  to  hold  the  library.  It  was  customary  to  negotiate 
an  exchange  of  books  with  the  societies  in  adjoining  towns. 

The  third  book  club,  so  far  as  the  records  show,  was  organized  at 
the  town's  third  public  Meeting  House,  a  building  erected  near 
Chamberlin's  store  in  1 83 1 .  It  was  organized  October  9,  1 862,  as 
the  Agricultural  Library  Association.  President,  Jarvis  Adams ;  Sec- 
retary, Edwin  S.  Jackman  ;  Committee  to  purchase  books,  Otis  Cham- 
berlin,  Hosea  Doton  and  Edwin  S.  Jackman.  Membership,  with  the 
right  to  take  out  books,  was  secured  by  the  purchase  of  one  share  at 
five  dollars.  One  hundred  volumes  were  purchased,  and  the  most  of 
this  collection  is  now  in  the  Town  Library. 

At  the  Legislative  Session,  1 894,  came  the  first  move  on  the  part 
of  the  State  for  promoting  the  formation  of  public  libraries  through  aid 
from  the  State  treasury.  An  Act  was  passed  creating  a  board  of 
library  commissioners,  whose  duties  included  the  selection  and  furnishing 
of  books  to  the  amount  of  $  1 00,  at  the  expense  of  the  State,  upon 
application  from  a  town  having  no  public  library. 

At  Pomfret's  annual  meeting,  March,  1 896,  the  town  voted  to 
accept  the  provisions  of  the  Act  of  1 894,  and  annually  appropriate 
twenty-five  dollars  for  the  maintenance  of  a  public  library. 

The  town  public  library  grew  rapidly.  The  Young  People's  Club, 
a  secular  society  organized  for  charitable  work,  raised  funds  by  public 
exhibitions  to  supply  books.  The  first  year  of  the  twentieth  century, 
the  collection  numbered  one  thousand  volumes  as  shown  by  the 
Finding  List  published  at  that  time. 


50  THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 


Hosea  Doton 

Hosea  Doton  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Vermont,  November  29,  1 809, 
on  the  farm  which  was  cleared  by  his  grandfather,  John  Doton,  in 
1  786,  and  has  to  this  day  been  held  in  his  name  and  occupied  by  his 
descendants. 

Hosea  began  his  educational  career  in  a  little  brick  school  house 
near  the  farm,  built  by  his  father  and  other  farmers  about  a  century 
ago.  The  schoolhouse  has  been  in  use  ever  since  it  was  built  and  is 
still  in  good  condition. 

After  he  graduated  from  these  walls  his  further  education  was  carried 
on  by  himself  with  his  books  as  teachers,  and  this  education  continued 
through  all  his  life.  In  the  line  of  mathematics  he  was  surpassed  by  no 
one  in  the  state,  and  in  recognition  of  this  fact,  Norwich  University  in 
1 845  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M. 

His  father  was  a  farmer  and  a  land  surveyor.  He  learned  the  art 
of  both  these  occupations,  though  surveying  was  far  more  interesting 
to  him  than  farming,  and  from  first  to  last  he  did  an  endless  amount  of 
it.  It  used  to  be  said  that  you  could  put  him  in  any  woods  and,  how- 
ever difficult  the  task,  he  would  find  every  "  old  line  tree  "  as  if  by 
instinct.  He  began  teaching  district  schools  before  he  was  of  age,  and 
was  largely  concerned  with  public  and  private  schools  for  nearly  forty 
years.  After  this,  private  students  received  instruction  in  his  study, 
almost  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

He  was  employed  as  a  civil  engineer  for  a  time  on  the  Northern 
New  Hampshire  Railroad,  and  years  after  was  chief  engineer  for  the 
Woodstock  railroad,  a  position  he  retained  until  he  died. 

His  success  as  a  teacher  has  rarely  been  surpassed.  He  found  the 
best  there  was  in  every  boy  and  girl,  and,  with  the  foundation  of  this 
best  to  build  upon,  spared  no  pains  to  inspire  them  to  press  forward 
toward  the  highest  and  truest  things  that  life  could  give. 

"  Aim  high  ! "  was  his  watchword. 

He  had  a  strong  personality,  and  his  influence  lives  to-day  an  active 
force  in  many  lives.  He  is  borne  in  thankful  remembrance  by  men  and 


POMFRET  VERMONT 57 

women  scattered  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  from  the 
Canadian  heights  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

When  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  married  his  early  school- 
mate, Lois  Paddock,  a  young  woman  of  brilliant  intellect,  in  scholarship 
his  equal  and  endowed  with  rare  executive  ability.  Their  only  child, 
Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  was  born  six  years  later. 

He  survived  his  first  wife  nearly  thirty  years,  and  during  that  period 
was  twice  married. 

He  died  in  Woodstock,  Vermont,  January  I  7,  1 886. 

This  sketch  of  his  life  is  printed  here  for  two  reasons :  first,  because 
he  was  by  far  the  greatest  influence  for  sound  education  and  high  and 
worthy  living  the  town  ever  enjoyed,  and,  second,  because  his 
daughter,  Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  is  now  the  librarian  of  that  library, 
described  in  this  pamphlet,  which  so  wisely  and  efficiently  carries  on 
his  work. 


Abba  Doton  Chamberlin,  Librarian 

Abba  Doton  Chamberlin  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Vermont,  August 
1 ,  1 840,  on  the  farm  adjoining  the  one  settled  by  her  great  grand- 
father, John  Doton,  in  1  786. 

Her  school  life  began  in  the  little  brick  schoolhouse  where  her 
father  and  mother  had  been  before  her. 

When  the  father  began  work  as  a  civil  engineer  on  the  Northern 
New  Hampshire  Railroad,  the  farm  was  sold,  and  the  mother  and 
daughter  boarded  for  the  time  being  with  relatives  in  New  Haven, 
Connecticut. 

The  city  schools  proved  very  alluring  and  the  child  was  soon  leading 
her  class  of  40  members,  although  one  of  the  youngest  among  them. 
When  1  3  years  of  age  she  won  the  yearly  medal  given  by  the  chair- 
man of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  city.  This  was  for  a  composi- 
tion on  "  Mother  Goose's  Melodies",  which  the  Board  had  printed  in 
one  of  the  city  dailies.  The  publisher  afterwards  informed  the  Chair- 
man that  it  was  so  well  received  that  the  issue  ran  short  by  300 
copies. 


52_ THE  POMFRET  LIBRARY 

After  the  death  of  the  mother,  teaching  district  schools  in  Pomfret 
and  assisting  her  father  in  his  own  schools  took  up  several  years.  Then 
a  course  was  taken  in  the  Bridgewater,  Massachusetts,  State  Normal 
School.  Of  this  work,  Principal  Albert  G.  Boyden  wrote,  "  She  con- 
tinued her  course  of  study  in  the  school  one  term  beyond  the  time 
required  of  her  for  graduation,  and  during  her  entire  course  in  the 
school  was  distinguished  for  her  fidelity,  enthusiasm,  and  accurate 
scholarship." 

The  class  chose  her  as  valedictorian  at  their  graduation. 

Then  began  work  as  first  assistant  in  the  Randolph,  Vermont, 
Normal  School,  and  later  in  the  Woodstock,  Vermont,  High  School, 
followed  by  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  where 
she  received  from  the  State  Superintendent  of  Schools  a  life  certificate. 

As  a  student  in  the  Summer  Schools  at  Harvard,  she  received  the 
highest  commendation  given  to  any  one  of  the  70  members  of  the 
class.  . 

She  taught  one  year  in  Atlanta  University  and  two  years  in  Augusta, 
Georgia. 

Seventy-five  terms  in  all. 

When  Pomfret  celebrated  its  centennial  in  1870,  she  was  chosen 
by  the  town  to  write  and  read  the  centennial  poem. 

When  27  years  of  age  she  married  a  Pomfret  boy,  her  friend  from 
childhood,  James  K.  P.  Chamberlin,  who  after  leaving  her  father's 
school  was  a  Norwich  University  cadet,  and  later  a  graduate  of  the 
Albany  Law  School.  He  died  while  they  were  living  in  Lincoln, 
Nebraska. 

In  May,  1907,  at  the  request  of  Judge  Abbott,  she  began  work  in 
the  Abbott  Memorial  Library. 

J.C.D. 


Vermont  Libraries  and  the  State. 

The  aim  of  the  Board  of  library  commissioners  is  to  help  the  smaller 
town  libraries  already  established,  and  to  encourage  those  towns  and 
villages,  now  without  free  public  libraries,  to  start  such  libraries.  The 
State  gives  $  1 00  in  books  to  a  town  that  votes  to  establish  a  free 
library  and  appropriates  annually  a  certain  sum  toward  its  maintenance. 
But  the  State  does  not  stop  there.  If  the  library  keeps  in  touch  with 
the  outlying  districts  of  its  town,  by  sending  books  to  one  or  more 
district  schools,  or  by  maintaining  other  branch  libraries,  the  State  gives 
it,  on  application,  annual  aid  to  the  amount  of  $20  or  $25  in  books. 

Any  library  may  ask  the  Board  of  library  commissioners  for  advice 
on  any  point.  For  instance,  many  small  libraries  find  it  hard  to  choose 
the  books  to  buy  with  their  yearly  appropriation.  The  Board  has 
helped  several  with  book-lists,  and  will  always  be  glad  to  help  others. 

Vermont  wishes  to  give  all  her  children  a  chance  to  enjoy  such 
reading  and  pictures  as  children  near  a  library  enjoy.  She  thoroughly 
believes  that  "  the  children  of  to-day  are  the  citizens  of  tomorrow ", 
and  that  the  more  chance  for  general  development  they  have  now,  the 
better  citizens  they  will  become.  The  most  central  places  for  these 
children  are  their  schoolhouses.  So  collections  of  books — stories  and 
other  interesting  books  for  children  of  all  ages — called  "  School  libra- 
ries ",  travel  to  any  schools  in  the  State,  and  towns  are  specially 
authorized  by  law  to  pay  the  cost  of  transportation. 

A  town  without  a  library,  desiring  books  for  adults  and  children,  can 
get  a  collection  of  45  books  by  application  to  the  secretary  of  the 
Board.  A  reading  club,  wishing  to  study  a  special  subject,  can  also 
obtain  books.  A  Grange  can  send  for  a  "  Farmers'  library  "  containing 
agricultural  books  and  stories  for  its  instruction  and  entertainment.  The 
only  cost  is  that  of  transportation  both  ways,  about  $1.25. 

Quarterly  meetings,  held  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  sometimes 
with  the  co-operation  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Education  or  of 
the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  encourage  the  towns  which  are 
bravely  supporting  their  libraries,  give  them  new  ideas  as  to  methods 
of  work,  and  raise  libraries  and  librarians  in  the  estimation  of  their  towns 
as  members  of  a  large  and  helpful  body  of  workers.  These  meetings 
are  not  for  librarians  alone.  They  are  planned  to  be  of  interest  to  all 
wide-awake  citizens,  all  who  take  an  active  part  or  interest  in  any 
movement  that  keeps  their  town,  their  children,  and  themselves 
up-to-date,  clear-headed,  broad-minded  Vermonters. 

State  of  Vermont,  Board  of  Library  Commissioners : 

MARCH  M.  WILSON,  Randolph,  Chairman 
MRS.  C.  M.  WINSLOW,  Brandon 
EDWARD  M.  GODDARD,  Montpelier 
MISS  F.  B.  FLETCHER,  Proctorsville 
MISS  C.  H.  CLEMENT,  Rutland 
MISS  R.  W.  WRIGHT,  Montpelier,  Secretary 

Inquiries  may  be  addressed  to  members  of  the  Board  or  to  its  Secretary. 


J 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


A     000743872     4 


